


It Is Our Way

by Valyria



Series: Kaiidth [4]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Graphic Violence, POV Original Character, Pon Farr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-24
Updated: 2013-01-26
Packaged: 2017-11-26 18:13:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 37,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/653028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valyria/pseuds/Valyria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spock and Uhura's son struggles to find his place in the galaxy. A sequel of sorts to my other S/U stories. A very Vulcan love story. AU. OC/OC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Koon-ut-la

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set in the same universe as my other S/U stories and refers to OC's and things that happened in those. It's in three parts. Canon characters appear a lot more in the next two parts.
> 
> As always, big hugs to Lamb's Ear for beta'ing!

Fitting in amongst his father's race proved as difficult as his attempts to do the same with his mother's. Although he felt himself to be amongst peers – there was no discernible difference between himself and the other Vulcan children - he found that he remained an oddity. The only difference was that instead of being a subject of curiosity owing to his Vulcan father, it was his human mother that now set him apart.

From his very first day at the Shi'Oren t'Nenik (Elementary/Fundamental Academy) in Shi'Kahr he was singled out by students wishing to question him about it. Their questions pertaining to his genetic makeup were more logical than those made by human children, and none seemed afraid or disturbed by him as some humans were, but for a reason he could not quite identify their calm inquiries embarrassed him more than the odd comments he'd become accustomed to receiving from humans.

However he found that the teachers at the Academy offered infinitely superior study opportunities than the tutors provided by Starfleet for the children aboard  _Enterprise_. As such when his mother and father visited him on the third month of his stay with his grandfather he informed them of his desire to remain on New Vulcan. His mother accepted his decision with her usual complicated human emotions - pride, anxiety, love and sadness all thrumming through their bond and expressed in a one confusing, but affectionate, hug.

His father was more wary. He remarked favourably upon the superior tutors and classes that would be available to him, but sought him out after his mother had retired to sleep to speak to him privately. Zybari was meditating and thinking idly over an interesting new physics theorem that had been covered in that day's classes.

His father entered and knelt on the opposite side of the asenoi from him. 'You have found your classes to be satisfactory?'

'Affirmative.' Zybari wondered at the redundancy of the question. His father had already made similar inquiries and was not usually prone to repetition in the manner of his mother.

'Your classmates. They are no doubt curious about your hybrid genetic makeup.' His father was looking at him with an unusual expression in his eyes.

'They have expressed repeated curiosity in the matter.' Zybari agreed.

'Such curiosity is only logical.' his father remarked.

'Indeed.'

'I imagine their curiosity is quite different to that you have previously encountered amongst non-Vulcan children.' His father paused. 'I found it to be so.'

'That is accurate. Their questions are more logical. They do not ask to touch my ears, lift heavy objects or read their minds like human children do.' – examples of curiosity that Zybari did not miss.

His father was silent for a period of 2 standard minutes and 18 seconds. 'Should you ever find their attentions… confusing, I would welcome discussion on the matter. You may contact me outside of our scheduled subspace calls should you require clarification as to their behaviour.'

Zybari recalled his sister's frequent calls to their mother during her year on New Vulcan 2 years previously. Her crying had carried through their living quarters. He had been forced to leave since it was impossible to ignore his sister's emotional distress. His father was clearly concerned he would suffer similar emotional turmoil. Zybari found the thought distasteful. He had not cried since he was 4.2 years old when his mother had been severely injured on an away mission.

'I do not think that will be necessary _osa'mekh (honoured father)._ ' He felt obliged to offer reassurance that he was not currently in need of any such advice. 'I note the curiosity of my classmates has decreased markedly over the past four weeks.'

'That is good. Such attentions can be a distraction.' His father was still looking at him expectantly.

Zybari allowed himself a slight expression of exasperation. 'I am not T'Vai osa'mekh _. Nam-tor ri thrap wilat nem-tor rim_ (There is no offense where none is taken.).'

His father seemed pleased by his observation but offered another of Surak's Analects for his consideration.  _'Pulau na'vathular k'nuhk_ (Reach out to others courteously.).' Zybari restrained the urge to sigh. His father was telling him try and 'make friends'. No doubt his mother had put him up to it. Over the course of his childhood she had expended no small effort in her endeavour to ensure he had 'friends'.

T'Vai had always had friends, chiefly Elia McCoy, but she and Elia would often seek out new acquaintances whenever they stopped on a planet or starbase for leave. Zybari found socialising to the same extent as his sister exhausting. Especially where Elia McCoy was involved. She was one of the most illogical persons of his acquaintance.

' _Nar-tor pulaya s'au k'ka'es - k'el'rular tun-bosh_ (Accept their reaching in the same way, with careful hands.).' Zybari responded by rote.

Spock's left eyebrow lifted in a tiny gesture that Zybari knew was amusement. 'Yes  _sa-fu_. Careful hands.'

The  _Enterprise's_ bridge crew and several other colleagues of his parents came down by shuttle and shared a meal at his grandfather's house on their last evening on New Vulcan. The Captain gave him a pleasing gift. It was 'something we picked up from some smugglers in the Beta quadrant.' as he put it. It was a grey furred cub not dissimilar to a terran jungle feline. Commander Sulu informed him that it was a Romulan leopard called a ' _lhohnu llaihr'_.

His mother had not looked pleased at him receiving a creature whose name translated from Romulan as 'silver death' as a pet. In what appeared to be an attempt to placate his mother his grandfather remarked that its fangs were much smaller than a sehlet's. His mother had just pursed her lips.

Commander Sulu was forced to spend 8.5 minutes explaining in detail its long history of domestication before she would consent to allow the creature to remain with him. The cat seemed remarkably sociable considering its name. It purred loudly and butted its head against Zybari's leg a great deal. He deigned to refer to Captain Kirk as 'Uncle Jim' as he thanked him. It was a habit he had tried to break out of as he grew older, but he was aware that the Captain enjoyed being referred to as such.

The next four weeks passed uneventfully. His lessons were interesting and for the first time in his life - challenging. His grandfather was pleasant company, his calm and logic a pleasant change after living with human's for so long. The  _Ihohnu llaihr_  proved a suitable animal to keep as a pet. He spent some time in researching the creature and discovered that it was native to the Ar'hael Desert on Romulus. As such the cat adapted to the arid climate of New Vulcan rapidly. They were evidently popular pets throughout the Romulan Star Empire and it was not unheard of for them to be smuggled into Federation space. His was undoubtedly the only one on the planet however and the thought bought him a small measure of prideful pleasure which he tried to tamp down upon. His grandfather allowed it to sleep on the floor in his bedroom. He named the creature Salan in honour of its exceeding stealth.

His parents contacted him via subspace as per their agreed upon schedule. His mother asked him many illogical questions pertaining to his schooling and Salan. His father was far more circumspect in his inquires and spent much of their conversations discussing interesting things the ship had come across and the subjects of his classes, for which Zybari was glad.

His fifth month upon New Vulcan did not pass as satisfactorily. His classmates did not antagonise him overly, or at least he felt no great emotional upset or need call his father for guidance. His studies were satisfying. He had ample time to study or pursue his own interests. His grandfather arranged for him to receive formal instruction in the Ka'athyra and continued his training in  _suss mahna_ in place of his father. Undoubtedly he felt for the first time that his life was arranged in an entirely logical and satisfactory manner, and yet he found himself holding silent conversations with himself.

In the middle of the seventh month on New Vulcan he turned 11 standard years old in the Terran reckoning. Since his grandfather was not human he did not expect the occasion to be remarked upon. His mother and father called him before his morning classes however and he opened the gift his mother had sent him in front of the comm console. The elaborately wrapped box contained an experimental tricoder Commander Scott had fabricated.

Clearly his father had been involved in the selection of the gift.

Its specifications far exceeded his current model. It was an exceedingly pleasing gift and he informed his mother as such. She grinned happily and even from 42 lightyears away Zybari felt their familial bond warm with her affection. It was not unpleasant.

He did not think further upon his birthday until the time for the evening meal approached. His grandfather informed him that they would dining at the Terran Embassy.

His grandmother, the Terran Ambassador to New Vulcan - Tamu Uhura, greeted him with her customary awkward hug. Zybari disliked the physical contact but was pleased that she took care not to touch his skin and initiate any accidental mental contact. She made many illogical statements over the course of the three hours they spent in her company but Zybari did not find it as taxing as he usually did. He found himself reminded of his mother.

She presented him with two gifts, one from herself and another from his Aunt Zanta. His grandmother's gift was a large book of musical compositions from throughout the Federation. She remarked that his father had once told her that he found transcribing non-Vulcan music for the ka'athyra an interesting exercise in logic and she expressed a hope that he might also enjoy such a diversion. He thanked her for a thoughtful gift.

The gift from his Aunt was also interesting. It was a traditional Orion puzzle carved from different coloured single pieces of wood. Her attached note informed him that the fastest any Orion of her acquaintance had been able to solve it was 32 seconds but that she was certain he would be able to best that figure.

His grandmother requested he join her for a meal once a week when she was on New Vulcan and he felt no desire to avoid accepting her invitation. When he spoke of this arrangement to see his grandmother during his next comm call to his mother she smiled very widely and seemed pleased.

He found that instead of holding silent conversations with himself or imagining his mother's responses, his grandmother's company satisfied what he assumed was a previously undiscovered requirement for human companionship.

He was content.

Seven weeks passed pleasantly.

Then Tamu Uhura returned to Earth for a time.

Zybari found himself looking forward to his conversations with his parents a great deal more. The duration of their comm calls extended by 36%.

Six weeks after his grandmother left for Earth his grandfather was also called away to attend to his duties relating to his position as Administrator of Vulcan High Command. Zybari found himself alone save for his grandfather's servants. It was a strange situation. 23 days and 16 hours passed before he had a personal conversation.

On his walks with Salan around the wildness that surrounded his grandfather's house he started conversing with him in Swahili. The cat would growl and vocalise in response to the sound of his voice. Zybari allowed him to sleep at the end of his bed.

It appeared that he was not satisfied without his family to interact with. He recalled the analects of Surak his father had quoted to him months previously:

' _Pulau na'vathular k'nuhk_ (Reach out to others courteously.).'

This was clearly what his father had been referring to.

Obviously hybrids such as themselves required some sort of social interaction to function at optimum levels. His own father had close friendships with several humans, perhaps this was why. With his family off planet it was logical to seek a suitable alternative to their company. His father had been attempting to encourage him to cultivate acquaintances so he would not find himself in his current predicament. He decided to follow his advice.

Over the 11 months he had lived on Vulcan he had made thorough observation of Vulcan social interaction. When next one of his classmates made a personal query of him, instead of dismissing it with concise logic, he attempted to be more social in his response to encourage a conversation.

'Zybari. Sobok informs me you have a Romulan pet.' The query had been posed by T'Sar, daughter of  _Okosu_ T'Lar,Grandmaster of Gol and  _Pid-kom t'Maat Sardok (Matriach of Clan Sardok)_. T'Sar had demonstrated great intelligence and logic in their classes together. Conversing with her would not be unpleasant. The aforementioned Sobok standing beside her had not made a similar favourable impression upon Zybari, but he was not closely acquainted with him. Sobok was older than T'Sar and Zybari and they did not share study groups.

'That is correct T'Sar.' Zybari paused and volunteered additional information where he would usually have awaited further inquiry. 'It is a  _lhohnu llaihr_ or Romulan leopard as they are colloquially referred to.'

The Vulcan girl made a tiny expression of interest and Zybari interpreted it as invitation to continue. 'It is not dissimilar to felines found on Terra and many other class M planets.'

'What is its name in Vuhlkansu?' she inquired.

'Silver Death.' Zybari replied hesitantly.

Sobok raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with T'Sar.

'It is an exceedingly Romulan name, although it is indeed silver in colour and from what I have read, quite vicious in the wild.' He felt obligated by their response to share his own low opinion of the emotive name of his pet's species.

'You speak Romulan?' Sobok asked.

'Affirmative.'

Sobok almost frowned. 'Why would you wish to learn their language?'

The question confused Zybari. There were many reasons, all of which would apparent to anyone who gave the matter any thought. He was uncertain if he should list them. 'My parents are fluent in all three dialects. Their fluency has proven useful.'

'Fluency in the language of our enemies would be logical if serving with Starfleet where interaction with them is to be anticipated.' T'Sar observed, her eyes flicking guardedly between Sobok and Zybari.

'You intend to serve in Starfleet?' Sobok inquired.

'I am considering such a career.' Zybari responded mildly.

'That is a logical choice. You are, after all, mostly human. I wonder if perhaps that is the cause of your strange accent.' Sobok remarked cryptically.

Zybari inclined his head in confusion. 'I am afraid I do not follow. I was unaware I had an accent.'

The older Vulcan boy nodded. 'I had thought it because you were half human, but perhaps it is that you spend too much time speaking Romulan.'

'That is unlikely. I did not learn any Romulan dialects until I was 5.1 years of age.' He thought for an observation to extend the conversation without appearing argumentative. 'I imagine being raised on a Starfleet vessel and speaking standard and my mother's native language a great deal would be the cause of any accent I may have developed.' Swahili was a decidedly musical language. It would not surprise him if it had coloured his tone in Vuhlkansu. He had learnt both from the moment he could form words.

'That is logical.' T'Sar agreed. 'It is only a very slight inflection.' Zybari was not certain, but he thought she had made the last comment in an attempt at friendliness. Although perhaps politeness was a more accurate description for her intentions.

'No I think not.' Sobok said. 'It is a known fact that humans cannot correctly pronounce Vuhlkansu. As you are only a ¼ Vulcan, such speech impediments are to be expected.' Zybari was uncertain since Sobok's face was utterly smooth and emotionless, but the tone he used reminded him of that certain human children had used when they attempted to insult him.

'I am afraid you have been misinformed upon both points. My mother speaks both Vuhlkansu and Van-Kal-Vuhlkansu with perfect fluency, so clearly there is no physical impediment. Furthermore, I am a hybrid. Whilst I have human dna, my genotype is predominately Vulcan.'

'Your mother is human, your father is ½ human, therefore you are ¾ human.' Sobok insisted.

Zybari was uncertain how to continue. 'That would be correct were humans and Vulcans able to reproduce without the assistance of geneticists, but they cannot. My father's genotype is predominately is Vulcan, as is my own.'

Sobok crossed his arms. It was an almost human gesture of intimidation. 'You're lying. Obviously you are more human than Vulcan since you are able to do so with ease.'

Zybari glanced at T'Sar hoping for guidance. The girl's eyebrow twitched slightly and he sensed no antagonism from her, but she was no help either. 'I am uncertain as to your meaning.'

'Your sister is human, she looks Vulcan but she is human. You are not as bad as her, but your blood is just as thin.'

'I am uncertain as to the relevance of my sister or the viscosity of my blood with regards to this conversation.'

'Her blood is red.' Sobok raised an eyebrow in challenge, as if he expected Zybari to deny his statement.

Zybari felt a strange surge of anger. He pushed it back. T'Vai's blood was indeed red, the situation of her birth was vastly different to his own. She took after their mother. 'As I am the product of genetic manipulation and she natural conception your point is invalid.'

T'Sar replied before Sobok could. 'Did you not say such reproduction was impossible?'

Her tone was mild. Calm. Curious but not cold. He gave her his full attention. 'That is correct. She was conceived on Omnicron Ceti III. The spores of the Omnicron Pod Plant there are capable of maintaining the body of any humanoid exposed to them in complete health. It was only due to the presence of this spore that my sister was conceived.'

'That is most curious.' she replied.

'She is a most fascinating and singular individual.' Zybari agreed.

'She is a weak emotional human. She may have Vulcan ears and eyebrows, but that is all.' Sobok's statement was offensive. Zybari repeated his favoured analects of surak.  _Nam-tor ri thrap wilat nem-tor rim._ There is no offense where none is taken. T'Vai  _was_ weak. She was not as strong as full bloodied Vulcan. She  _was_ emotional, she was much like his mother. Neither of these were insults, they were statements of fact. There was no offense.

'I have often noted emotional similarities between my sister and humans, and she is indeed not as physically strong as a full Vulcan. She does possess other Vulcan attributes however. For example she is a powerful telepath and her internal organs are arranged in the manner of a Vulcan, despite her iron-based physiology.' His sister was something of a scientific abnormality and as such quite fascinating.

T'Sar looked interested. 'That is most curious. One would think she would take physically after one parent or the other. It would appear more logical than an even mix of two species.'

'Indeed. Geneticists would not have created such an illogical hybridisation. In the estimation of those that enabled my own conception, her genetic mix cannot be replicated by current levels of medicine and science.'

'That is good. She is an aberration.' Sobok was clearly attempting to antagonise him Zybari deduced. He did not deign to respond. Obviously any overtures of friendship and social interaction with him would be illogical.

T'Sar frowned infinitesimally. The slight pinching of her mouth pleased Zybari. Perhaps T'Sar would welcome further social contact with him where Sobok would not.

'I was present on her last day at the academy.' Sobok remarked.

Zybari tensed slightly. He recalled his sister's sudden departure from New Vulcan. Their grandfather had obtained a shuttle just for her so she could return to the  _Enterprise_ as swiftly as possible. She had cried in her sleep and when she thought no one could hear for a period of 3 months and 18 days. His father had eventually used a Vulcan mental technique to dim her memories of her emotional upset. Owing to his own discomfort, Zybari had not made inquiries as to the source of her distress, either of her or his parents. It was apparent her interactions with Vulcans figured a great deal in them.

'She bled all over the floor. They had to replace the carpet. Human blood is impossible to wash out. It  _stains._ ' Sobok continued in a manner most definitely intended to offend or anger Zybari. Even though he was aware he was being antagonised, he found discussing the incident which had emotionally, and apparently physically, injured his sister highly distressing.

T'Sar shot him a look. 'It is impolite to discuss such matters Sobok.' she serenely informed him. 'And as I recall Tarbok also bled profusely.' She turned to regard Zybari. 'For all her inferior human physiology, your sister appeared to be more adept in her _suss mahna_ studies than Tarbok.'

Zybari was pleased that the discussion had once more turned, and that T'Vai had been able to defend herself. 'It is difficult to correctly anticipate her intentions. She is quite interesting to spar against.'

Sobok opened his mouth, no doubt to attempt once more to elicit an emotional response from Zybari, but T'Sar interrupted him. 'It is 13:28.' It was. Their afternoon classes were about to start. Two minutes was just long enough for them to make their way back to their study rooms.

Zybari nodded. 'Indeed. Farewell Sobok, T'Sar.'

T'Sar inclined her head politely, Sobok did not.

Three days later Zybari noted T'Sar alone during their meal break. Remembering his father's words he made his way across the refectory to sit beside her. He did not ask if he could sit, such illogical human manners would only serve to confuse her. Instead he informed her 'T'Sar. I have found it satisfactory to converse with you. I would welcome further such interaction.'

'That is agreeable.' she responded.

Her simple acceptance bought Zybari far more pleasure than it warranted. They had a pleasing conversation over the 30 minutes afforded them for their break. She made many detailed inquiries of Salan. She had researched the creatures and seemed intrigued.

'If you wish you may visit and inspect him.'

She agreed readily.

Salan had grown significantly since Zybari had received him, he now stood 63 centimetres tall from the tips of his large tufted ears to the ground between his front paws. According to Commander Sulu he would reached a final adult size between 78 and 92 centimetres at approximately 18 standard months of age. T'Sar was unafraid. She petted him and welcomed his head butting and purring. Zybari had to restrain the urge to smile when she picked up a long blade of grass and began using it as a lure for him to play with.

'He is quite impressive Zybari.' she remarked at length. 'Though I do not think well named. 'Silver Death' does not seem appropriate.'

'Indeed. He does not seem particularly deadly does he?' Zybari responded.

'What is the Romulan word for kitten?' she inquired.

Zybari told her.

'" _Silver Kitten",_  That is what he should be named.' She punctuated her statement by rubbing the large cat's belly. He twisted in the sandy earth and made a noise that was half yowl half purr, his tail thrashing roughly.

'Come  _bwana chui_. You should behave with more dignity.' Zybari admonished his pet.

'Bwana chui?' inquired T'Sar.

Zybari felt a small twinge of embarrassment. When with his family he often spoke in a mix of standard, Vuhlkansu and Swahili. He had done so in front of T'Sar without thought. Obviously she did not speak Swahili, it was an exceedingly obscure dialect by Vulcan standards. He was glad for the fact. He called Salan a number of illogical things apart from his name, including 'Lord Leopard'.

'Swahili. Excuse me.' He made no attempt to translate.

'A Terran language? What did you say?' she inquired. Her head was tilted to one sight and she was looking at him great interest.

'My mother's language. And I referred to Salan as 'Lord Leopard.' Zybari replied without looking at her.

'Salan's behaviour is anything but dignified and yet you call him Lord. This is Terran humour is it not?'

Zybari wished very much for the terrible conversation to be over. 'Yes.'

'Terran humour was explained to us in our federation culture and language classes, I found it most confusing.' T'Sar was frowning a tiny Vulcan frown.

'For the most part I share your confusion. Even my father has confessed to still finding the intricacies of the social construct mystifying. Although he seems to be able to make Captain Kirk and mother laugh with regularity.'

'What is Captain James Tiberius Kirk like?' inquired T'Sar. 'He seems strange from the holo's we study in class.'

'He _is_  strange.' Zybari replied. 'He insists I refer to him as 'Uncle Jim' despite the fact that he is not my uncle, or indeed, related to me in any fashion.'

'Perhaps he desires children of his own and so seeks a familial relationship with you?'

'He has a son, of whom he appears appropriately fond of in the human manner. I do not think that is the reason.' He knelt and patted Salan's head in the way he preferred. 'Humans have very complicated naming traditions. Several other close acquaintances of my parent's like to be addressed by myself and T'Vai in a similarly illogical style. Doctor Leonard McCoy likes to be called "Doc Bones" and his wife Lieutenant Gaila McCoy becomes unduly agitated if I do not refer to her as "Aunty Gai-Gai"' Zybari frowned slightly in memory of his 'Aunt' Gaila. 'Humans take great care in naming their offspring but then insist on calling them and each other by different names entirely. "Nick names" and "Pet names". My mother alone utilises 16 different terms to refer to me.' It was all quite confusing and pointless in Zybari's opinion.

'Your name is Vulcan.' T'Sar remarked.

'It is, but I was named for my human grandfather. Captain Zuberi Uhura. Okosu T'Pau thought it appropriate I be named for him but did not wish to give me a human name. Zybari was the closest Vulcan name.'

'That is a logical compromise.'

Zybari was silent for a long moment before he added. 'I have another name. It is a tradition amongst my mother's people to give a child a second name that denotes the manner of its birth. Mine is Kipruto.'

'A curious but not illogical basis for identification.' T'Sar remarked. 'What does Kipruto signify?'

'That I was born whilst my mother was on a journey away from home.'

T'Sar nodded. 'Were Vulcans named in the same manner I would also be a Kipruto.'

Zybari was surprised to hear her refer so obviously to the destruction of Vulcan. Va'Pak. It was not spoken of. 'The female equivalent is Cheruto.' he remarked evenly.

'T'Sar Cheruto' she remarked idly. 'It is not a discordant phonetic combination.'

'Indeed.' replied Zybari.

'I am unfamiliar with terran languages besides standard. Perhaps you could teach me your Swahili?' she inquired.

Zybari felt a small jolt of pleasure. Surely such a request was made both out of curiosity as well as appreciation for his company? 'It is a simple enough language. French would be a more logical choice however, it is the diplomatic language of Terra.'

'I have made rudimentary study of French. It is latin based like standard. I foresee little difficulty learning it should I ever need to. Swahili would prove more interesting I imagine, being an alien syntax completely unfamiliar to me.'

It was disconcerting to hear a language that came so naturally to him referred to as an 'alien syntax' by someone he considered to be a peer, but he was accustomed to such odd discomforts as a hybrid.

T'Sar found certain phrases difficult to correctly pronounce, but being Vulcan her memory was excellent and she was able to hold basic, if heavily accented, conversations with him in Swahili in a matter of days. She seemed to find the exercise interesting and insisted they converse solely in the human language when they spoke during their meal breaks.

Zybari found her company very pleasant. She was a more advanced student than he in mathematics and physics and he found her conversation stimulating. She in turn appeared to have a great curiosity about other planets and cultures and enjoyed discussing his experiences aboard the  _Enterprise._ When next he spoke to his parents his mother seemed very pleased that he had made a 'friend'.

His grandfather remained off planet, but his human grandmother returned once more to the Terran Embassy. He temporarily moved into the one of the guest rooms in her private residence there at her insistence. She did not want him alone at the S'chn T'gai Estate with only servants for company. He was unconcerned. The Embassy was a comparable distance from his school and she permitted him to bring Salan, despite the face that 'Puss' as his grandmother referred to him, appeared to make many of the human staff nervous.

She had bought him gifts from Terra. A selection of his favourite fruits and nuts carefully in stasis and a hand carved figure of a leopard.

'I found it a market in Mumbai. It reminded me of Salan.' she remarked.

They played a game of kal-toh after their evening meal. She was only a moderately proficient player, but her conversation and company was still enjoyable. She informed him of the developments in his human family. He had many second and third cousins amongst his human family - Uhuras, Adoyos and Graysons, and his grandmother had apparently visited them all during her time on Earth. His great-uncle Sefu, with whom his family usually stayed with during their visits to Earth, had given his grandmother a holo displayer filled with family photos for her to take to New Vulcan. She took great delight in showing him the ones in which he was featured. In one he was openly frowning. He had little recollection of the day it documented.

She informed him that he and his human cousins had ridden bicycles around Nairobi and then stopped for ice cream and that he had unwittingly selected a flavour that contained chocolate. She smiled a great deal as she detailed the highly unlikely series of misadventures featuring him that followed. Zybari did not find them overly entertaining and suspected she exaggerated a great deal.

The next day T'Sar remarked upon a desire to utilise his tri-coder in an experiment she was conducting involving splicing a Kolari Orchid with a Vulcan Cir-cen cactus in the hopes of creating a strain that would thrive on New Vulcan. She seemed excited when he informed her he was currently staying with his grandmother.

After their classes she accompanied him across the small but ever-growing city of Shi'Kahr to the United Earth Embassy. It was one of the oldest buildings on the planet, one of the first foundations poured in the aftermath of the destruction of Old Vulcan. It was designed in an unashamedly Terran style, all transparent aluminium and silvery steel standing out amidst the sweeping stone towers of the Vulcan buildings around it. It even had a small green lawn and Earth-style garden surrounding it. The amount of water, recycled or not, that was required to keep the landscaping green seemed a great waste to Zybari.

He led T'Sar in via the private entrance to the side of the building. She regarded the Terran botanicals and everything else they passed with great interest. She had never left the planet, he supposed it was quite exotic and alien to her. The guard in the cooled foyer within greeted him with his usual human cheer.

'Good afternoon Zybari!'

The guard, one of twelve on the Embassy's permanent staff, turned to regard T'Sar curiously. 'Your friend will need to sign in before you head upstairs.' The man then switched to Vuhlkansu and gave her a polite salute _. 'Live long and prosper honoured guest.'_  He picked up a PADD from the desk he stood behind.  _'Would you please sign your name for our records?'_

T'Sar accepted the PADD and marked her name in Vuhlkansu glyphs. The guard inclined his head in thanks as she returned it, careful not to touch her fingers.

Zybari led her to the turbolift and requested the level containing his grandmother's personal quarters. He felt his skin prickle in the seeping chill of the building. No doubt T'Sar found it equally unpleasant.

The lift opened into a large room dotted with sofas and chairs. Double doors opposite the lift led to his grandmother's personal quarters. Inside the temperature was a far more reasonable 28˚ Celsius.

'Are the atmospheric controls in the rest of the building malfunctioning?' T'Sar inquired.

'Negative. 23˚ Celsius is considered optimum to human comfort. Grandmother keeps her chambers at a temperature more suitable to Vulcans due to the fact that the area of Earth she is from is quite arid.' he replied as he led her through the rooms towards his sleeping chamber.

'Ah yes. The Ambassador is from Africa. A desert continent.' T'Sar remarked. She was looking at the decoration of the rooms and the Terran art displayed on the walls intently. Compared to the functional aesthetic preferred by Vulcans, his grandmother's apartments with their bright carpets, decorative wallpapers and accumulation of 'knick-knacks' seemed lavish and exotic. His own room, whilst still decorated with elaborate human style furnishings - namely an illogically large bed with far too many pillows and a sofa that no one apart from Salan ever used - was rather more subdued.

'For the most part,' he replied to her statement. ' - although according to father Africa is quite verdant in comparison to Old Vulcan, especially in the monsoon season.' As he spoke he crossed to his desk and picked up his tricorder. T'Sar stopped at the sofa upon which Salan was sprawled napping and scratched the cat's head. He began to purr very loudly. Zybari turned the tricorder on and checked that it contained a sufficient charge and was operating correctly before passing it to T'Sar.

She accepted it eagerly. She had examined it on five previous occasions and had remarked on its superior capabilities in comparison to those she had access to via the Academy. When he had first informed her that he was in possession of an experimental model fabricated and designed by Montgomery Scott she had been almost humanly transparent in her excitement.

Her knowledge of Commander Scott was quite thorough. As an avid student of physics she had studied his trans-warp theory at length. She had expressed great admiration for his achievements in the field. Zybari suspected her easy acceptance of him despite his human heritage was directly related to that admiration.

'Grandmother has a balcony with more Terran plants if you wish to take some readings before you return to your experiment.' he offered.

She agreed readily and they made their way to the wide balcony that adjoined his grandmother's rooms. There were a wide variety of plants in pots and growing on trellises. Many of the more exotic T'Sar had never seen before. They had spent a satisfactory 57 minutes taking readings of different plants, discovering an infestation of some sort of parasite on three of his grandmother's roses, before Zybari heard his grandmother moving about inside.

T'Sar turned to silently regard the long glass doors that led inside. Zybari got the absurd idea that she was nervous. 'Come T'Sar. My grandmother has previously expressed a desire to meet you. She will take illogical human offence if I do not take this opportunity to do so.'

The Vulcan girl nodded and followed him silently back inside, the tricoder strap looped over her shoulder and the instrument clutched in her hands.

His grandmother's voice was carrying through from her sitting room. She usually sat there and drank tea after she finished her work for the day. She looked up and smiled widely at his entrance and greeted him in Swahili.  _'Darling! How was your day?'_

Zybari came to a halt in front of her chair.  _'Satisfactory grandmother. May I introduce T'Sar daughter of T'Lar?'_  He did not introduce her with full formality, his grandmother would not have been able to pronounce her lineal name, but with enough dignity that T'Sar's Vulcan sense of propriety would be satisfied.

T'Sar gave his grandmother the ta'al but greeted her in accented Swahili with polite human manners instead of in Vuhlkasu.  _'Good Afternoon Lady Uhura. It is a great pleasure to meet you.'_

Zybari's grandmother's eyes widened in pleasure.  _'The pleasure is mine Miss T'Sar. Zybari mentioned he was teaching you Swahili. You speak it very accurately.'_

T'Sar seemed pleased by the compliment.  _'He is also teaching me French and my Federation Standard has been much improved by his acquaintance.'_

' _As his Vuhlkansu has been improved by yours. Administrator Sarek will be pleased that his grandson no longer sounds quite so much like a Romulan spice merchant.'_  his grandmother replied in amusement.

T'Sar's eyes widened and she shot Zybari a concerned look.

' _Terran humour.'_  He explained.

' _Yes Terran humour. Do not mind me Miss T'Sar.'_

* * *

His grandfather returned to New Vulcan and Zybari returned to his estate once more, resuming his weekly visits to his grandmother. On occasion he would visit her with T'Sar and she would speak Swahili with them and alternatively thrill and scandalise T'Sar with her odd human behaviour.

Zybari found his situation eminently satisfactory. His grandfather and grandmother provided him suitable familial interaction in both the Vulcan and Human manner and T'Sar a friend and companion for his free time. He thought it unfortunate that his sister had not had the good fortune to encounter a person such as T'Sar when she had attended the Shi'Kahr Academy. If she had, Zybari thought the chances of her having completing her schooling at the superior facilities of the Academy would have been much greater.

14 months and 18 days had passed since Zybari's arrival on New Vulcan when he observed a shift in T'Sar's interactions with him.

For a period of 11 days she did not socialise with him outside of their interactions at school. Zybari attempted to pin point the cause of this change but could detect no changes. He recalled his mother and sister 'sulking' and wondered if this was the Vulcan equivalent. Perhaps he had unwittingly offended her in some manner? He resolved to get to discover the truth of the matter.

He waited with Salan outside the house were T'Sar took her music lessons. She emerged at 17:03 hours and he made his way over to greet her. She returned his greetings but made no effort to converse with him further as they walked towards her home.

'Have I offended you in some way T'Sar?' Zybari inquired.

'No you have not.'

'Do you no longer find our social interactions pleasant?'

'I find your company satisfactory.' She responded.

'Might I inquire as to the cause of your recent change in behaviour then T'Sar?'

She was silent for a period of 2.3 minutes before she replied. 'I will be 15 R'tas of age on the fourth day of et'khior.' The statement sounded accurate. T'Sar was 7.6 standard months younger than Zybari. He was uncertain as to the importance of the date she specified however. Vulcan's did not celebrate birthdays.

'I am uncertain as to the significance of this T'Sar.' She offered no clarification however and he returned to his grandfather's house none the wiser.

Over the evening meal he shared with his grandfather he attempted to gain further insight. ' _Osa'mekh'al_ , is there significance to the fifteenth anniversary of ones birth in the Vulcan calendar?'

Sarek raised an eyebrow in a gesture not dissimilar to that of his son. 'Why do you ask Zybari?'

'My classmate T'Sar has seemed distressed of late. When I questioned her she informed me that she would soon reach this anniversary.' He paused. 'I do not understand her reaction.'

His grandfather was silent for a period. 'You enjoy T'Sar's company Zybari?'

The question confused him. 'Yes father. I find her company satisfactory.'

'I assume she also finds social interaction with you similarly satisfactory?' Zybari sensed that his grandfather was asking more than he appeared to be.

'She has mentioned this yes.'

His grandfather nodded cryptically but offered no illumination. Zybari contemplated contacting his father. Although perhaps his mother or grandmother would offer more insight?

T'Sar was just as withdrawn the next day and his grandfather was not home when he returned to the estate after his schooling. Zybari considered once more contacting his parents for advice, but was loathe to disturb them in their duties over such a mundane an issue. He resolved instead to seek out his grandmother the next day.

However the following day T'Sar behaved once more in her usual manner. They had an interesting discussion about her ongoing experimentation with her Kolari Orchids over their meal break and she accompanied him and Salan on a walk after their last class.

They had walked for 1.2 hours when she found a specimen of flowering grass she had not previously encountered. Zybari, who had not been born and raised on the planet, had not encountered the particular variety either. They used his tricorder to make readings, comparing it to the planetary botanical database. There was no record of it. With some excitement they took a small sample and made a complete scan.

'It is a new variety. We will be able to name it.' T'Sar sounded about as excited as a Vulcan child would allow themselves to be. Impulsively Zybari grabbed her hand in the way he would have grabbed his sister's or his mother's so he could share his own excitement with her.

Her skin was warm, as warm as his own, and very soft. His fingers closed gently around her hand and he felt the hot blur of her mind travel along his veins and into him. Shock. The moment he registered the sensation he remembered the inappropriateness of his actions. 1.2 seconds had passed. Her eyes had widened by 17% and she was frozen, her body and breath in complete stillness. He felt his own eyes stretch and he released his grip and stepped back.

'Forgive me T'Sar! I did not think…' He was aware that his voice was humiliatingly emotional in his embarrassment.

T'Sar looked down at her hand silently for 7.2 seconds then curled her ring and little finger against her palm so that only her middle and index finger pointed forward. She lifted her arm between them, offering her slim fingers to him in the  _ozh'esta._  Zybari met her dark eyes in shock.

He had only ever observed the gesture between his parents. Curiosity battled with his sense of propriety. Hesitantly he curled his fingers and raised them towards her. Before he had fully made up his mind she reached forward and brushed her fingertips against his. The mental connection was much stronger than the grip of his fingers against her wrist and palm. He gasped and felt her take the same action. He could feel her thoughts brushing against him, like the beating of a thousand wings pushing little eddies of air around him, touching him yet not.

It was a fascinating sensation. Her fingers twisted, slid, and suddenly he could feel not just her mind, but the shape of her thoughts and feelings. He felt a warmth similar to that he felt from his sister, a vague nameless feeling of affection which he felt mirrored within himself. Mutual appreciation for the other's company he supposed and felt her agreement. The most powerful feeling he sensed, one that permeated everything about her was a great wave of curiosity backed by the vastness of a whirring Vulcan intellect. She was intensely curious about him, wished to know and understand him. She deemed it very important.

He did not understand  _why_  she felt it so important, but it was not displeasing to know he fascinated her so.

He felt her latch onto his confusion, try to understand it.  _/I wish to know if we are well suited. It is only logical./_  Her thoughts blossomed in his consciousness silently, expressed in a language without words, yet as clear if spoken aloud.

He felt an echo of memories, thoughts from her. They washed over him in a confusing wave. The day she would turn 15, (10.95 standard his brain corrected), when her family were expected to have selected a bondmate for her. A list of names,  _Sobok's_ but not  _his -_ not  _Zybari -_ even though he was  _clearly_  the most suited to her. Confusion. Anxiety. The fear her parents would chose the wrong male to bond her to. Then S'haile Sarek in her house. Talking to her parents. Relief.

It was too much – the powerful stream of memory. He pulled his fingers and his mind from her, but remained staring into her eyes.

'We are to be bonded?' he inquired.

She nodded.

Zybari was uncertain what he felt at the revelation. He was aware that by long tradition Vulcans were bonded as children. Depending on their parent's choice, they could be betrothed as young as 6. However given the difficulty in matching suitable pairs with the V'tosh so reduced, it was not unusual for a child to reach T'Sar's age and remain unpromised. He was surprised that her parents had considered him. Owing to her human genetics, his sister was not betrothed and he had not expected to be either. His parents had never discussed it with him and he had never given the concept much thought, but he had felt that it was expected he would most likely bond to a human as his father and grandfather had before him.

That he was to be betrothed was entirely unexpected. He was shocked. And yet. And yet...

'We are well suited to one another.' he remarked aloud. He could not imagine a human female being such pleasing company.

T'Sar gave a tiny Vulcan smile and he could tell his comment pleased her. 'We are.'

He recalled his grandfather's conversation with him the previous evening. Clearly he had sought out T'Sar's family and made an arrangement with them.

'I did not expect to be bonded. Yet I find I am… pleased.' he remarked truthfully.

'As am I.' T'Sar agreed. She gave him her tiny Vulcan smile once more before indicating the flowering grass forgotten at their feet. 'What shall we name our grass  _sa-kagulsu_?' she asked identifying him as her betrothed in the process. She surprised him with her casual use of the term.

He glanced at her and from the lift of her left eyebrow gathered that she was teasing him. They were far too young to be referring to each other in such a manner, accurate or not, and she had done so intentionally to shock him.

'I am uncertain my  _ameposwa_.' he responded evenly using an archaic Swahili term for betrothed. He had not taught her the word and expected that she would look it up as soon as she was parted from him.

He was certain in a contest to use emotive terms for one another to elicit shock, his experiences as the child of an inter-species marriage between two xenolinguistic experts gave him a significant advantage. His father, whilst admirably restrained in public, was decidedly emotional in his conversations with his mother when they were in their quarters. He had long theorised that his father spoke Van-Kal Vuhlkansu with such regularity purely because it offered him anonymity in company and an additional 6 synonyms for 'beloved' over modern Vuhlkansu.

His grandfather joined him for dinner and Zybari was surprised that he made no mention of the arrangement he had come to with T'Sar's family. He supposed that the matter would need to be discussed with his parents however.

The next day during their meal break T'Sar pressed her fingers to his where they lay on the bench beside him. He felt her amusement and excitement. It was gratifying to know that beneath her perfect Vulcan clam and logic, their feelings and emotions were so similar.

A week passed in a pleasant blur. Whenever they were alone T'Sar would press her fingers to his and they would share thoughts and feelings across their fingertips. It grew easier and the connection deeper each day. Zybari found he could read her moods and tiny facial tics with unerring accuracy. He felt an increasing sense of anticipation at what the mind meld and bonding would be like. If sharing thoughts across their fingertips was so fascinating, what must a full mind meld be like? From what his father had told him it would result in something like the familial bonds he had to his father, mother and sister. He looked forward to sharing such a connection with T'Sar.

It was an anticipation she shared.

6 days before T'Sar was to turn 15 in Vulcan reckoning, she was not present at the Academy. It was exceedingly rare for a student to miss a day of schooling. When Zybari noted that Sobok was also absent he came to a logical conclusion that he found emotionally distressing.

He could not sleep that evening and instead spent his rest period meditating before his asenoi.

When he arrived for his morning classes T'Sar did not greet him in her usual fashion. At their meal break she was silent. She did not have to speak for Zybari to understand what had occurred.

He did not let anything he felt be reflected in his voice or face when he finally spoke to her.  _'I am sorry.'_

In response she quoted Surak.  _'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few… or the one.'_

Her meaning was plan. It was required that she be bonded to a Vulcan, their race needed to be rebuilt. Her family had made the choice they considered best for her, most logical.

' _I am part human. It is a logical choice.'_ he agreed.

' _That is so.'_  she responded.

That part of him that was human felt obligated to offer words of comfort.  _'I hope he will prove a satisfactory bondmate.'_ She gave him a look he did not understand. Hope was an illogical human sentiment.

The subject was not mentioned between them again. They discussed the new grass they had discovered for the remainder of the break period. T'Sar had observed that the flowers opened three hours before the sunset and closed shortly after night fell. They speculated on the type of insects that might possibly be available to provide pollination during that period of the day.

Their friendship changed once more. Zybari was careful to behave in a manner that was acceptable to V'tosh custom. He made no attempts to touch T'Sar or initiate mental contact with her. She still spent significant amounts of her recreational time with him but they no longer visited her house. Her company was just as pleasant as always, but being denied something he had not even desired in the first place had resulted in a discomforting change in his feelings.

At his asenoi, deep in meditation, he realised the feeling was bitterness. It was hot and smouldering in a deep place within him, awaiting the chance to be fanned into flames of anger. Shamefully he attempted to cleanse his katra of it. The situation had been resolved logically. There was no cause for his emotional response. T'Sar's parents had chosen the most suitable bondmate for her. It was illogical to have negative feelings in regards to their decision.

His grandfather watched him closely for a time, and his father made careful inquires during their next three comm calls, but Zybari was able to deal with this first challenge to his emotional control admirably. When his 12th standard birthday arrived he rarely thought of T'Sar's betrothal. She was merely his friend once more.

Both his grandparents were on the planet so his grandmother came to Sarek's estate and shared their evening meal. His grandfather, having been married to a human for many years and long acquainted with Tamu Uhura, was perfectly at ease in her company. Zybari was glad when he insisted that perhaps their grandson was too old to be sung 'Happy Birthday' to however.

He was surprised at the gift he was presented with. It was a handmade ka'athyra. His grandmother had enlisted Sarek's aid in having it constructed and ensuring it was a suitable size. It was not made of the same woods as his father's, those materials were gone with Vulcan, but it had been masterfully carved by a Vulcan craftsman and it fitted in his arms perfectly. His grandfather informed him he would likely outgrow it within 2 standard years. His grandmother remarked she would enjoy gifting him with another when that occurred. She then made comments about 'Uhura men growing like weeds' and him being in need of longer robes.

Shortly after his birthday his parents had three months of accrued leave. They spent a month on New Vulcan then took him with them to Earth to visit both his father's human relatives in Seattle and his mother's in Nairobi. Zybari was slightly dismayed to miss so much school, there was no such thing as 'Christmas holidays' on New Vulcan, but he enjoyed seeing his family once more, even though he found his myriad of human cousins exhausting.

His mother delighted in his much improved skill with the ka'athyra. His father remarked on his highly satisfactory academic results. His sister teased him and hugged him and acted almost as illogically as their human relations, she even insisted on teaching him to  _swim_ , an activity he was not entirely comfortable with. He found her presence soothing however. She would reach for his hand and share her almost human emotions with him constantly. It was difficult not to enjoy his exuberant sister's company.

Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy, his wife Lieutenant Gaila McCoy and their daughter Elia joined them briefly in Nairobi at the end of their stay. T'Vai and Elia seemed very pleased to be in one another's company again and Elia even more pleased to make the acquaintance of Zybari's teen-aged cousins. Especially the boys. When he asked after him, Zybari showed the Captain a holo of the now fully grown Salan. He seemed taken aback at how large the Romulan leopard had grown. He asked very quietly if 'Uhura' which was the name he referred to his mother by, had seen his pet recently. When Zybari remarked that she did not seem fond of him, which was illogical as he was an exceedingly satisfactory pet, the Captain had exchanged a look with the Doctor and requested he not bring up Salan again while he was visiting. Zybari did not understand the request but acquiesced.

He left his sister to her studies on Earth and his parents and the McCoys at Space Station 1 in orbit. With Captain Kirk's soon to be finalised promotion to Fleet Captain, his father had finally accepted a promotion to Captain. He would be taking command of the  _Enterprise_  as Kirk's relief. The ship was currently in space dock and his parents wished to oversee the final stages of a refit. Zybari made the journey back to New Vulcan in a warp 5 capable passenger shuttle.

As always when he travelled on civilian ships he found the journey slightly unnerving. He disliked not being aware of who the crew were and if they were adequately trained. Despite the fact that the shuttle was bound for the new Vulcan home-world, there were only three Vulcans amongst the 37 passengers. As such Zybari found himself on the receiving end of unwelcome attention. The other passengers seated nearby spent most of the journey sneaking looks at his ears or eyebrows. He ignored their regard. According to his father Vulcans had always been a source of interest to humans and now that there were so few of them, that interest was even more pronounced. Zybari did not find their curiosity itself unpleasant, but the pity and morbid fascination he felt directed in his direction certainly was.

His grandfather awaited him at the Spaceport accompanied by an aide and a driver. After weeks surrounded by his human relations, his calm countenance and logical inquiries were a most welcome relief.

He returned to classes the following morning. He had followed the syllabus from Earth, but still felt he had fallen slightly behind. T'Sar offered him her aid in covering the material that he had missed and accompanied him to his grandfather's estate after their classes concluded. Whilst she was indeed of great help in swiftly making up his lessons, she also spent a great deal of time interrogating him about his trip as they studied. She was eager to hear of his journey as she had never left New Vulcan. It was her favoured topic of conversation for several weeks. She requested detailed accounts of the ships he had travelled in and descriptions of the places on Terra he had visited. When he had at last provided her with an exhaustive account in full, she extended her queries to planets he had visited whilst aboard the  _Enterprise_ with his family.

She also expressed especial interest in the exact sensation one felt on a ship as it engaged its warp drive. He attempted to provide accurate answers to her queries but found the last difficult. He could not correctly verbalise the strange shift and twist the body felt on a ship at warp. In this matter he advised her that empirical data would be insufficient and she would need to experience the sensation first hand.

She remarked that she was unlikely to leave the New Vulcan at any time in the foreseeable future. She would complete her schooling and then attend the Science Academy if her aptitude tests were of a high enough standard. By the time she completed a course of study she would most likely be required to marry and then she would need to remain on New Vulcan until she had provided and raised sufficient children for her husband. Couples were being encouraged to have at least three offspring. She estimated at least 35 standard years before she would be at leave to travel and experience the sensation of a ship entering warp first hand. Although her voice betrayed no emotion, her displeasure at the course her life would most likely take seemed plain to Zybari.

Zybari knew it was logical for females to give precedence to repopulating their species over personal interests owing to the precarious position of their race, but he found himself glad he was male and that his sister was considered an unsuitable mate for a Vulcan.

She spent a great deal of time looking at the holos of Nairobi, Seattle and San Francisco he had brought back with him. She even appeared curious of the images of his human relations, though he did not understand why.

It did not take him long to catch up to his classmates in his studies once more and his life fell into the same patterns it had followed prior to his trip with his parents.

When his grandmother was in residence at the Terran Embassy he would spend one evening a week with her. T'Sar would share his meal break with him at the Academy and socialise with him on average three times per week outside of schooling hours and Salan provided company when he walked around his grandfather's estate. His grandfather himself was a steady reassuring presence when he was on the planet, which was most of the time. He turned thirteen standard years age, then fourteen. He outgrew his ka'athyra and his grandmother had a larger one fashioned for him. His parents again took leave and stayed on New Vulcan before visiting Earth. His sister completed her studies at the Terran University she had been attending in England and joined the Federation Diplomatic Corps at 16.4 years of age. Her choice pleased their grandmother exceedingly. Zybari himself thought it logical given his sister's empathetic and friendly nature. She was well suited to such a career.

He grew tall. This pleased his grandmother almost as much as T'Vai joining the Diplomatic Corps. She spoke often of her husband, for whom he had been named, remarking that he would soon be as tall as he. Conversations of Zuberi Uhura left her emotional however, and she would usually fall silent or leave the room shortly after making such observations. His great-grandmother Okosu T'Pau seemed to see the same resemblance since she remarked that she had chosen an apt name for him.

During his fifth year on New Vulcan he came to the conclusion that despite his early inclinations to continue studying at the Science Academy, he would most prefer a career in Starfleet. T'Sar agreed that he would be well suited to such a life. Zybari wondered if she'd been born male instead of female, or human instead of Vulcan, if she herself would have considered enlisting. He did not ask her however, he knew such idle introspection would only offend her.

His sixth and final year at the Shi'Kahr Academy proved quite challenging. He and his classmates focused with great intensity upon completing their schooling. T'Sar studied zenobiology, a field of study that would prove useful in the continued terraforming of New Vulcan, but she continued to study physics, specifically warp thermodynamics and subspace theory for personal enjoyment. Zybari took his father's advice on suitable areas of study pursuant to a career in Starfleet.

He was accepted into the Starfleet Academy before his sixteenth birthday. His mother insisted he defer his placement until then. She said 16 was too young for the San Francisco campus and that 15 was ridiculous. His father would not intervene on his behalf. He was left with a period of 3.2 months until he could depart for Earth. His relatives on Earth invited him to stay with them but he found he preferred to stay on New Vulcan. With T'Sar.

She had also grown taller. She now wore her hair pinned up in elaborate braids and her robes were more decorative as was suitable for the daughter of a pid-kom. A  _T'Sai_ in her own right. His friend had grown into an aesthetically pleasing adult. On occasion he found himself thinking of her when he stared into the flame of his asenoi. Such reflection bought him both pleasure but also pain. He recalled perfectly what her mind had felt like when her fingers had been entwined with his. Warm and perfectly Vulcan, a deep whirring spiral of ordered thoughts. The memory of their childish closeness hurt, awoke that ancient bitterness within him.

He endeavoured not to think upon it.

She had tested well. Her scores were slightly higher than his. As expected she had been offered a place at the Science Academy. The prospect did not appear to excite her as his own acceptance to Starfleet Academy - a far less impressive feat - did. She remarked that she would miss his company. He informed her that the sentiment was mutual. Her company was superior..

Her studies at the Science Academy began as soon as she finished at the Sh'Kahr Academy. He saw little of her in his final month upon Vulcan. The day before he was scheduled to leave, the day before his birthday, she visited him in the late afternoon. They walked around the gardens and wilds that surrounded Sarek's estate, Salan loping between them. T'Sar would on occasion let her slender fingers stroke along the cat's grey fur in an absent caress as it walked beside her.

'Salan is more accustomed to you than my grandfather.' Zybari remarked.

'This is so.' she agreed.

'I cannot take him with me to Terra.'

'To do so would be illogical. He would be ill-suited to San Francisco.' Her slight Vulcan accent made the human city sound exotic.

'If you are agreeable, I would leave him in your care.' Zybari said.

T'Sar paused, her head cocking to one side as she considered. 'Yes. That would be agreeable.'

Her acceptance of his pet pleased him more than it had right to do so. It was logical – his cat was far more suited to her lifestyle than his grandfather's and she had demonstrated appreciation for the creature over their acquaintance – but he felt a pleasure at her acceptance that did not seem related to that. He found he liked the idea that Salan would remain beside her even if he did not.

'When does your shuttle depart for Earth Zybari?' she inquired.

'10:07 hours.' he responded.

She nodded. 'I will take my leave from you now then.'

Zybari turned and gave her his full attention. She returned his regard placidly, dark Vulcan eyes revealing nothing. 'Live long and prosper Zyberi.' Her hand raised in the ta'al.

'Peace and long life T'Sar.' he responded.

The exchange seemed inadequate, but beyond peace and a long life, what more could he want for his friend? Happiness he supposed. A human desire.

She left shortly afterwards and Zybari wandered amidst the scrubby trees and red rocks of his adopted home. He encountered a small patch of the flowering grass that he and T'Sar had discovered five years previously.  _Pla-khru (blue-evening)._  Impulsively he bent and carefully removed a long stalk laden with the little blue flowers. He stood and twisted it between his fingers. The flowers had no fragrance and were not aesthetically impressive in the manner of a Kolari Orchid or other such specimen, but he found them pleasing.

He was uncertain what do to with the bloom when he returned to his room. After consideration he placed it within the book of musical compositions his grandmother had long ago gifted him with and dismissed it from his thoughts.


	2. Kal'if'fee

Zybari took some time to become accustomed to living amongst humans once more. Six years of peace and logic at his grandfather's house had eroded many of the mannerisms of his early childhood upon the  _Enterprise._

His Vulcan disinterest in recreational and social pursuits marked him out amidst his mostly human peers. Conveniently, since he was on average 2 standard years younger than the other first year cadets, his lack of participation in many recreational activities was not commented on. He could not legally enter the campus bar and so he did not.

Other differences had little positive benefit. He found that all the aspects of him which made him an object of interest to humans were magnified at the Starfleet Academy. His family was the subject of great interest. Being the son of Captain Spock and Commander Uhura afforded him unexpected…  _notoriety._  Strangers would approach him and wish to discuss his parents or other officers who had served with Fleet Captain Kirk. He overheard many comments to the effect that his acceptance into the Academy so young was due to the influence of his parents rather than his own merits. His background, which had always seemed to him a complication, a hindrance, was suddenly viewed with great jealously. Even the Academy staff treated him differently owing to his parentage.

His Professor in Advanced Phonology appeared to take pleasure in informing him that he had not matched his mother's results when he completed his first semester's assessment. He found the comment illogical. He had not been attempting to surpass his mother's achievements. He had no desire to focus on linguistics in the manner she had during her studies. A career in communications did not interest him.

His Phonology lecturer was not the only instructor to single him out amidst his peers. During his first semester, Professor Ruthers - his instructor in Interspecies Ethics, had used his family as a case study for a 3 hour lecture. Since his family had not made many aspects of their personal lives a matter of public record, much of the material covered was grossly inaccurate. The students sitting around him had begun turning periodically to stare at him. No doubt curiously attempting to visually confirm many of the professor's statements regarding to the physiology of Human/Vulcan hybrids.

Zybari felt intense anger. For the first time since very early childhood he desired to physically strike someone. Preferably the Professor. When an image of himself was projected onto the lecture display viewscreen, Zybari found himself rising abruptly to his feet. The image was a still from a holo featuring him conversing with his grandmother and T'Sar at a function of some sort at the Terran Embassy some two years previously. The professor had been pointing out physical similarities between himself and his grandmother.

He was painfully aware of 300 sets of eyes turning to regard him across the lecture hall.

Professor Ruthers seemed gratified. 'Speak of the devil!' He smiled widely. 'Here's Zybari himself. Did you have something you wished to add?'

Zybari stared in disbelief. The man seemed completely unaware of how offended he was. He evidently thought Zybari wished to contribute to his lecture.

'Did I miss something?' his professor prompted at his continuing silence.

Zybari picked up his PADD in preparation to leave the hall. 'If you are unaware of how offensive your inaccurate, invasive and inappropriate lecture material is, then I can only assume you are completely unqualified to teach a course on  _Interspecies Ethics.'_

Some of his classmates seemed to find his outburst amusing and others appeared to be in agreement with his assessment of the lecture. They expressed their opinions loudly as he departed from the lecture hall. He dropped Interspecies Ethics and transferred into Stellar Cartography.

He received a sub space call from his father 37 hours after the incident with his Interspecies Ethic's teacher. His father had been informed of his behaviour. Zybari braced himself for the Vulcan equivalent of a scolding on his emotional outburst. Instead his father seemed almost as agitated as he.

'My colleague Professor Voss forwarded me the lecture in question. Your restraint is admirable. Your comments to your Professor were accurate. When I was your age I do not think my own emotional control was as strong where slights to my family were concerned.' His father paused. 'I have not informed your mother. She will only worry, and perhaps interfere. I assume you don't desire your mother contacting any of your instructors and sharing her displeasure with them?'

Zybari's eyes widened slightly. 'Surely she would not actually do that?'

His father raised his right eyebrow sceptically. 'If not her, your 'Uncle Jim' certainly will.'

The door to his dorm triggered and his roommate walked in and seeing that he was at the comm console gave him a silent wave in greeting.

His father switched to Vuhlkansu. They had been speaking standard out of habit. ' _Should you require advice with regards to other issues at the Academy, I would recommend consulting with Admiral Pike. He is as fond of you as Jim but a far more reasonable man.'_  The Admiral resided in San Francisco, and although like all Admirals he sat upon the extended Academy Board, he was based at Starfleet Command at the Presidio across the bay.

' _Affirmative father.'_

Spock nodded and offered him the ta'al.  _'Peace and long life my son.'_

' _Live long and prosper.'_ Zybari returned by rote.

His room-mate waited until the connection cut-out to the no signal graphic before asking excitedly, 'Wow. What that Captain Spock?'

Zybari raised his left eyebrow at the illogical question. His room-mate, a human named Cadet Evans, smiled, 'Okay yeah, stupid question.'

'Indeed.' Zybari agreed mildly.

'I just can't believe he's your  _dad._  That's so crazy.' He shook his head in apparent disbelief. 'Did he call you to tell you off?'

'Admittedly that was my initial thought as to his reasons for contacting me, however he instead expressed shared irritation at the Professor's inaccurate course material and pleasure at my so-called 'restraint'.' Zybari replied.

Cadet Evans frowned. 'Really?'

'Indeed.'

'Huh. I thought Vulcans were big on respecting your elders and regulations and all that.' Evans observed.

'He personally reviewed the lecture material and appeared most displeased.' Zybari said. Given the speculation Professor Ruthers had indulged in with regards to reproduction between a Vulcan and a Human - complete with anatomical diagrams - his father's displeasure was hardly surprising.

'Ah. I wouldn't want to be Ruthers.' Evans paused and smirked. 'Did you know that a few dozen other cadets followed you out of the lecture hall?'

Zybari tilted his head in curiosity. 'I did not.'

'Yep. A guy in my tactics class was there. I wouldn't be surprised if the Professor ends up before the board.' Cadet Evans slapped him on his shoulder as he walked past him towards his desk. 'Not that it matters, Stellar Cartography is  _way_  more interesting.'

'I must admit it is seems a satisfying use of mathematics and warp physics.'

His room-mate made a 'Mmhmm' noise that Zybari interpreted as agreement. 'Nothing beats getting a perfect set of co-ords out of an unbalanced warp fold trajectory equation.'

The problem Evans described was indeed a satisfying exercise in logic.

Zybari spent his first semester break in Seattle with his father's human relations. His sister also visited. She was apparently enjoying her position in the Diplomatic Corps. as much as he was enjoying his studies at the Academy. Despite the fact that they were considered adults in human terms, she still took his hand and shared her thoughts with him with childish abandon. Her easy affection pleased Zybari - her company was more gratifying than he recalled from childhood. There was never any confusion or offence between them, his sister understood him perfectly - in a way the cadets at the Academy could not. Although he had cultivated cordial relationships with several other cadets including his room-mate, he had not established any close friendships like that he had shared with T'Sar.

He enjoyed his recreational period, but found himself missing the social interactions he would have shared with her had he been on New Vulcan. He had not made any attempt to contact her since his departure. He was uncertain if such contact would be appropriate or welcomed. He had contacted his grandmother and grandfather thrice and twice respectively however. His grandmother had mentioned T'Sar on each occasion but his grandfather had not. Zybari could not bring himself to make inquiries of her.

The second semester passed pleasantly enough. He excelled in his assessments. His parents did not have leave during the end of year break so Zybari and his sister spent the long holiday period in Nairobi with their great-uncle Sefu. Their grandmother Tamu stayed for the week over Christmas. Zybari spent a great deal of time wandering around the Nairobi National Park with his tricoder. He found himself having silent imagined discussions with T'Sar. She would have found the African biology fascinating he was sure. The giraffes were especially enthralling.

His second year at the Academy was more satisfactory than the first. Admiral Pike offered him advice on his choice of classes and under his guidance he began arranging them towards a mixed 'command/operations track'. He thoroughly enjoyed his Stellar Cartography, Astrophysics and subspace theory classes. His parents seemed pleased that he was not simply emulating their own career choices. His mother remarked that with her cousin Fahari serving as an Engineering officer, they'd soon be able to man an entire ship within the family. His father observed that it would have to be a very small ship.

His parents took leave during his second end of year break and they made a long overdue trip to Orion to visit his Aunt Zanta. His mother's close friend Lieutenant Gaila McCoy, who was Orion, joined them along with her husband Doctor McCoy and their daughter Elia. His grandmother and his great-Uncle Sefu's family also accompanied them. He had not seen Orion since a brief visit to the Capital when he was 7.3 years of age. His Aunt grew several particularly impressive varieties of Kolari Orchid at her residence. They reminded him of T'Sar's long ago project to create a hardier strain for New Vulcan.

He made mention of her experiments to his Aunt and she insisted he send T'Sar some seeds. Apparently the varieties she grew were very rare and she was certain his 'friend', (she placed odd emphasis upon the word), would appreciate the chance to study them, even if she no longer pursued her former research. He admitted she was perhaps correct in her assessment and sent a selection of seeds via courier to her on New Vulcan. He was uncertain how to explain his gift and was certain the note he attached was very awkward.

He received no response from her.

He had turned 18 during the end of year break and on his return for his third year he found his classmates now adamant he join them on occasional social excursions to bars and clubs.

He found the experiences unpleasant. The music was always far too loud, the conversation quickly deteriorated into inebriation and the underlying sexual current to everything made him decidedly uncomfortable. His father had taught him pool and dom-jot, and on the nights he accompanied them he would thus amuse himself and provide his companions with free beverages via his victories. They appeared to greatly appreciate his skill in this regard. It was not displeasing.

However it seemed no sooner had he conformed to one human social norm than his classmates required he adhere to another. They found his continued disinterest in females a concern. They made constant attempts to 'set him up' as it were. When he attempted to explain his lack of interest they did not appear to believe him. They seemed to think he was repressing himself sexually through a sense of Vulcan decorum.

When returned to his dorm one Saturday evening and found a naked Orion female cadet in his bed he came very close to losing his emotional control, in anger however, not lust. He'd forcibly ejected the girl and stripped his bed. He had meditated for an hour then recorded a message and sent it to his mother. She would undoubtedly know how to convince his classmates to cease in their efforts to get him to engage in sexual relationships.

Three days later he returned from class to find his room-mate sitting in front of the comm console, red faced, talking to his mother. He paused in the doorway. He had not foreseen the eventuality of his mother contacting Cadet Evans directly. To his relief his mother's voice was not raised. She was inquiring after Evans' studies. She then exchanged greetings with Zybari before ending her call.

Zybari regarded his room-mate expectantly.

Evans sighed. 'You told your  _mom_  on me?'

'I did not 'tell on you' I requested her advice on dealing with unwelcome pressure with regards to human sexual interactions.' Zybari responded slightly defensively.

'Yeah well. She um. She explained a few things to me. I'll get the guys to leave you alone Zybari.' Evans looked up from the thorough inspection he had been making of his fingernails. 'Honestly I thought we were doing you a favour. Sorry.'

'Your apology is accepted provided I do not return to our room to find any further naked cadets in my bed.' Zybari replied.

Evans smirked slightly. 'You know Cadet Shrai had to run back to her dorm naked when you kicked her out?'

'I should perhaps have ejected her with my bedding. I was forced to recycle it at any rate.' Zybari said.

Evans winced. 'Um yeah, again. Sorry. No more naked cadets, Orion or otherwise, I promise.'

Zybari nodded. 'What precisely did my mother tell you?'

'She just reminded me that um, Vulcans live a lot longer than humans and that you were  _really_  young for a Vulcan.'

'This is common knowledge. Surely as a Starfleet cadet you are aware of the basics of Vulcan physiology?' Zybari inquired.

'Yeah, of course! It's just, you look pretty much like a human 18 year old,' he made a vague gesture towards Zybari's face as he continued, 'apart from the ears and eyebrows of course, and we all just sort of…  _forgot_  that you're actually this whole other species and we treated you like an 18 year old human, not an 18 year old Vulcan.' He paused, '… 18 for a human is an adult but your mom said Vulcans don't fully mature till their mid to late twenties.'

His mother had simplified the situation but it appeared her explanation would satisfy Evans without him needing to resort to more drastic measures. 'That is correct.'

'So when you said you weren't interested in girls…' Evans prompted.

'I am not interested.' Zybari replied.

His room-mate was silent for a period of 32 seconds. 'Does this mean you'll probably be serving on a ship somewhere and suddenly realise at the ripe old age of 28 or whatever that you  _are_  interested and start chasing after the entire female crew?'

Zybari raised an eyebrow. 'No. Vulcans evolved with markedly dissimilar sexual behaviours to that of humans. Even our ancient pre-awakening ancestors were monogamous and exhibited little of the promiscuous behaviour that humans indulge in.'

Evans frowned. 'So how do Vulcan's you know, hook up?'

'Traditionally they are betrothed as children. The marriage usually takes place sometime in their late twenties.'

'Oh wow, are you engaged?' his roommate asked with great interest.

'I am not. My parents do not agree with the practice.' That at least why they had never actively sort a bondmate for him or his sister, but he knew they would have agreed to a betrothal with T'Sar had one been possible. He had no desire to discuss his friend however.

'Well I don't blame them. Still, aren't all the hot ladies gonna be taken?' Evans inquired with typical human tact.

'I would sooner have a wife of my own choosing than a 'hot lady' as you put it.' he remarked. Again he thought of T'Sar.

'Ooo. Good point.' His room-mate conceded.

The first semester exams were markedly more difficult than those during his first two years of study. Zybari agreed to accompany Evans to the Academy Bar mostly because he was concerned his exhausted room-mate, who had been subsiding on energy drinks, nutrient cubes and even less sleep than himself for the last week would collapse.

He took the initiative and purchased the first three rounds of drinks for Evans and himself, selecting a beverage with a low alcohol content and an unfortunate flavour. At least to his Vulcan tastes. Several high ranking officers stopped by to congratulate the relaxing cadets, Admiral Pike amongst them. He had not seen the Admiral in 2.1 months and played a game of dom-jot with him. After a rather long game Pike informed him he was 'almost' as good as his father. Pike bought him a whiskey and then took his leave.

It took him 9 minutes to locate Evans. His room-mate was sitting at a table with several cadets from their shared classes. He was greeted with more enthusiasm than usual owing to their level of inebriation. Zybari took a seat and continued to keep an eye on his room-mate. Luckily Evans seemed to still be drinking 'light beer' and did not appear overly intoxicated.

After a period of 32 minutes another Cadet of their acquaintance appeared at the table. She was quite intoxicated and insisted on sitting beside Zybari. Too close in his opinion. She then proceeded to repeatedly attempt to engage him in conversation. He was reminded of the forced situations Evans and his companions had put him in previously. He shot an accusing glance at his room-mate but Evans shrugged, indicating that he was not involved in the human girl's attentions.

He endured her presence for a further 16 minutes before deeming it necessary to leave. He caught Evans' eye from across the table and informed him he was returning to their dorm room. Evans nodded understandingly. Zybari pushed his chair back slightly in preparation to stand, bidding the other cadet's farewell. He was aware of a sudden movement beside him and then a cool human hand clutching at his left hand. The mental connection was sudden, violent and unwelcome. A confusing mess of lust, conceit and anticipation jarred him almost painfully. The only humans he had ever shared thoughts though his fingers with were his relations, warm familial connections to express affection. There was no comparison. He was aware that he had risen to his feet and shoved the human away from himself even as he heard himself sharply exclaim ' _No!'_  in Vuhlkansu.

The girl tripped against her chair and fell into the table heavily. Glass shattered as bottles and drinks tipped over and fell to the ground.

The other Cadets were staring at him in shocked silence. Zybari had his right hand wrapped around his left cradling it to his chest as if he had been injured. He realised he was frowning and smoothed his facial expression.

Evans had stood. 'Sasha you idiot! You don't just grab a Vulcan's hand!' His room-mate sounded furious. The other Cadet's abruptly seemed to realise the cause of his outburst.

Cadet Graal, a Communications major, spoke to him in his native tongue. ' _Are you unharmed Zybari?'_

Zybari gave him a jerking nod in the affirmative. His thoughts were jumbled and uncomfortable.

' _Humans can be thoughtless.'_  the Andorian Cadet remarked.

Evans had rounded the table and was standing beside him, blocking the girl  _Sasha_  from him. 'Let's head back to the dorm.' he suggested.

'Yes.' Zybari was finally able to vocalise. He turned and quickly made his way out of the bar and into the cool evening air. Evans fell in step behind him, blessedly silent.

Once back in their dorm room Zybari sat cross legged on his bed and prepared to meditate. He wished to purge memory of the human girl's unwelcome mental contact as soon as possible. He felt unclean, as if her thoughts had left a film of grease, a mark upon him.

'Are you okay Zybari?' Evans quietly inquired.

'I am uninjured.' Zybari responded.

'Physically, but that cadet didn't like, hurt your…  _brain_  or whatever did she?' Evans' words were awkward, but Zybari was aware he was motivated by concern. Much as Zybari had been earlier in the evening when he had elected to accompany him to the bar.

'It was unpleasant. Her touch was crude. violent.' he found he could not stop once he started talking. 'Outside of family such contact is highly inappropriate. It is deeply personal to share thoughts. She did not have my permission.'

'Shit Zybari, do you want me to um, call someone?' clearly his words had increased his room-mate's concern rather than reassure him.

'That will be unnecessary. I will mediate.' Zybari replied.

Evans nodded. 'You do that. I'm going to give that idiot a piece of my mind. Every first year knows you don't touch a Vulcan, especially their hands.'

'She was unaware of the significance of her actions. She was inebriated and thought only to express her sexual desire in a manner that would have been perfectly acceptable had I been human.'

'But you are pretty obvious  _not_  a human. Don't make excuses for her.' Evans eyed Zybari speculatively. 'Hand holdings a big deal for Vulcan's isn't it? People call touching fingers a 'Vulcan kiss'.'

' _Ozh'esta.'_  Zybari corrected him. 'Finger embrace is a more accurate translation than kiss.' It was a sign of how unsettled he was that he even responded to such a statement.

'It's like kissing though isn't it?' Evans asked.

'It is a very intimate gesture. Something usually only bonded couples share.'

Evans looked angry again. 'So that was like your first kiss? Some drunk idiot groping you in a bar?'

Zybari felt slight amusement as his room-mate's outrage. 'No. I have shared ozh'esta with another.'

Instantly Evans perked up. 'Oh really? A pleasant experience I hope.'

'Indeed.'

'I feel a bit less guilty about dragging you to a bar to get mauled by drunk human girls then.' Evans threw himself onto his bed. 'So tell me about this other,  _nice_ ozh'esta.'

Zybari raised an eyebrow.

'I'll tell you about my first kiss.' Evans offered.

'I have no interest in learning the circumstances of that event.' Zybari replied.

'I was 12. Her name was Elaine. She lived next door. She was two years older than me.' He smirked, 'Even then, the ladies, they couldn't resist me.'

Zybari remained silent.

'Come on! Now you tell me about yours, that's how these things work.' Evans prompted.

'I have no wish to discuss it.' Zybari responded briefly.

'It might help you put Sasha McGrabby hands out of your mind.' The cadet he referred to was called 'Reynolds', not 'McGrabby hands' but Zybari restrained the urge to point that out.

'I will tell you, and then you will allow me to meditate?' Zybari bargained.

'Done and done.' His room-mate replied.

'Very well. Her name was T'Sar. We were both 11 in standard years. Her parents were considering a betrothal between us at the time.'

'T'Sar?  _The_  T'Sar?' Evans' asked loudly.

'I am uncertain as to your meaning.'

'As in your best friend that all your family always ask about when they call you.'

Zybari supposed that T'Sar did often get mentioned by his family. He had not thought much of it previously. He had also not ever thought of her as a 'best friend' but he supposed the Terran phrase was an accurate description of the friendship they had shared.

'Indeed.'

'So you kissed your best friend. Who you were supposed to get betrothed to?' Evans asked.

'That is correct.'

'What happened?' Evans inquired. 'Why didn't you end up betrothed to her? You're Vulcan, she's Vulcan, you like each other… seems like a pretty good deal.'

'The match was illogical.' Zybari felt that ancient bitterness surface once more. It had grown hotter, stronger, in the years he had kept it pressed down within him. 'I am part human. To bond a full-blooded Vulcan female to me when there are unattached full-blooded males would be detrimental to our limited gene pool.' He was aware that his voice was toned with emotion in a manner he rarely allowed.

Evans was silent for almost a full minute. 'If you guys were finger kissing, I'm guessing she wanted you, part human or not?'

He recalled exactly her thoughts on the matter. She had been certain he was the one she should be bonded too. He saw once more that tiny Vulcan smile on her child's face.  _'I am pleased_ ' he had said.  _'As am I.'_  she had responded.

Her smiling face at 11 became her still, emotionless face at 16 when he had last seen her 2 years, 6 months, 18 days, 12 hours and 32 minutes ago.

'Yes.' Saying it out loud, admitting that tiny fact made it impossible to accept the logic of Sobok as her sa-kagulsu. She did not want him. It was illogical for T'Sar to marry a male she did not want.

'You're in love with her.' Evans' bold statement shocked Zybari out of his internal reverie. His head turned sharply to face his human room-mate. Evans smirked.

'That's an  _old, old_  story Zybari. Boy meets girl, boy and girl become best friends, boy and girl grow up, boy and girl get married and live happily ever after. Add in a dog or a kindly grandparent and you've got the plot to half a dozen different holo movies.' Evans apparently noticed some change in Zybari's face because he continued. 'Don't tell me there  _is_ a dog and a kindly grandparent?'

'I lived with my grandfather Administrator Sarek at the time. It was he who attempted to arrange a betrothal between T'Sar and myself.'

'And the dog?'

'Not a dog - a Romulan leopard. James Kirk gifted it to me when I started my schooling in Shi'Kahr. His name is Salan.' He paused before adding hesitantly. 'I gave him to T'Sar when I departed for Earth.'

Evans sighed. 'This is some Romeo and Juliet stuff right here.'

Zybari raised an eyebrow. 'I assure you I have no intention of committing suicide.'

Evans rolled his eyes. 'I didn't mean literally. But what  _are_ you going to do?'

'I am uncertain as to the meaning of the question.'

'I mean how are you going to get T'Sar?' his room-mate clarified.

'Your statement remains illogical. There is no action I could take which would result in an outcome that would be more satisfactory.'

'Seriously? Why don't you just tell T'Sar to dump her fiancée and marry her yourself?' Evans asked.

'That is not possible.'

'Why not?'

'The nature of such a betrothal would require both parties to be in agreement. Sobok would not release T'Sar.'

'So she's stuck with someone she doesn't want? That seems pretty barbaric. Not to mention Illogical.'

'It is our way.'

'I feel sorry for Vulcan women then. For your T'Sar. Humans outlawed that sort of thing centuries ago.'

Zybari felt the need to at least try and defend Vulcan tradition. 'In extreme cases the woman can demand her betrothed prove himself worthy at their wedding via armed combat against another male of her choosing.'

'You realise you're just making it sound even worse. Armed combat? Over a woman? That's positively medieval.' Evans said.

'Indeed, such a challenge is looked down upon. It is to the death and is considered primitive. It is very rarely invoked.' Zybari replied.

Evans was staring at him in wide-eyed disbelief. 'You guys have fights to the death at  _weddings?_  Wow. All that stuff they teach us in Federation Culture seems to be a bit off the mark.' He shook his head as if clearing his thoughts. 'Still, if I were you I'd do it. If I loved her.'

'Do what?'

'Fight this Sobok guy for her.'

Zybari blinked. 'You recommend Kal'if'fee?'

'That's what a human would do. Illogical perhaps, but doesn't sound like you have much of an option. A chance to save a girl I loved from an arranged marriage would be worth risking my life for.'

The risk did indeed seem reasonable. Or perhaps not reasonable, but worth considering. 'I must admit I had not given thought to how I might prevent T'Sar marrying Sobok. As you say, perhaps it is a risk worth considering.'

'You're hardly a little guy Zybari. I'd say the risk would be to Sobok, not you.' Another valid point. He was indeed of above average physical strength for a Vulcan owing, ironically, to height inherited from his human mother. He had also received a great deal more combat and martial arts training than was the norm on New Vulcan due to his early childhood on an active starship and his schooling at Starfleet Academy. He would indeed have an advantage over Sobok.

'Perhaps you are correct, however Kal'if'fee can only be called for by the female. T'Sar would not do so, it would bring too much dishonour to her house and clan.'

'So you asked her?'

Zybari found himself frowning once more. 'I have not.'

Evans raised an eyebrow. 'Well you should at the very least give her the option. How is she supposed to make an informed and  _logical_ decision without all the facts? I mean, she probably doesn't even know. It's not like she'll just assume you're willing to  _fight to the death_ for her without you telling her as much.'

Yet another point. He had not given serious consideration to Kal'if'fee. He doubted T'Sar had either. It would be logical to inform her of his willingness so she could call for a challenge if she so desired.

'I find your logic sound. I will inform T'Sar of my willingness so she can, as you say, make an 'informed decision'.'

Evans smiled. 'And this marriage won't take place for another what, 5 years? Plenty of time for you to work yourself into a lean mean fighting machine!'

'Indeed. Should T'Sar choose Kal'if'fee, I would have ample opportunity to prepare.' He doubted she would take him up on his offer, but his conscience demanded he make her aware of it.

He found himself able to fall into meditation quite easily after Evans left their room to return to the bar. The human girl, Sasha, and her unwanted attentions slipped from his thoughts within minutes. He allowed himself to focus on memories of T'Sar as he mediated.

He felt a calmness when he thought on her that he had not felt since they were children. It would be up to her to make a decision, but at least he found peace knowing that she would have one to make, extreme though it was. Underneath that peace he felt anxiety and nervousness however. She would be aware of his emotional attachment to her when he informed her of his willingness to participate in Kal'if'fee for her. Perhaps she would find his…  _feelings_  for her distasteful. Human.

He spent the mid-year break with the Graysons in Seattle.

The last semester of his third year at the Academy proved almost a challenge. He focused his energy on achieving the highest possible results in all his classes. Admiral Pike was a constant source of encouragement and seemed pleased to offer him advice. His final scores were near identical to his father's in his science classes, which pleased him, and his results in his operations subjects were also high. He graduated top of his class in 3 subjects. Admiral Pike seemed confident he'd be commissioned to active fleet service the moment he graduated. This was pleasing.

Sure enough his results and extra accreditation resulted in him receiving a commission straight to Lieutenant Junior Grade, bypassing Ensign, a fact that his mother seemed pleased by and his father unsurprised by. They would not be able to take leave before he departed for his first posting, but were able to attend his graduation.

Zybari knew feelings of pride were illogical, but he allowed himself a small measure of the emotion, he was part human after all. His parents, many of his human relations and several Starfleet officers that he had known as a child attended the ceremony. Fleet Captain Kirk, Commanders McCoy, Scott and Sulu, Lieutenant Commander Gaila McCoy, Lieutenants Chekov, Rand and Chapel and Admiral Pike stood with his parents and the amassed Adoyos and Graysons and clapped and smiled for him. They attracted much interest from the other graduates and the audience. The original bridge crew of the  _Enterprise_  were 'legends' as Evans put it.

He had not seen many of his parent's colleagues since he left the  _Enterprise_  as a ten year old. He allowed them their human expressions of affection, shoulder slaps, bicep squeezes and quite terrible jokes and puns with more grace than usual. In comparison to the teenaged cadets he'd spent the last three years with they were the epitome of restraint.

Pike insisted they all retire to a nearby bar he favoured instead of the Starfleet campus one, which would undoubtedly be packed with graduates, and Zybari spent a pleasant enough afternoon in the company of his extended family. Evans and his parents accompanied them. He sat and spoke with his grandmother Tamu for some time and her quiet conversation reminded him of many they had shared with T'Sar. He suddenly and acutely wished she were nearby. He was certain she would have enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions of so many well-travelled Starfleet personnel. Especially Commander Scott.

Kirk and Pike bonded over a shared overindulgence of terran whiskey and spent an amusing half hour regaling the assembled crowd with anecdotes about his father. Unfortunately their tales segued into anecdotes about  _him_  and Evans had far too many exaggerated stories to contribute. When he told the assembled crowd about the incident with the naked Orion girl he forcibly removed from their room Kirk laughed so hard he overbalanced and half collapsed into his father's lap.

Spock's long suffering sigh and his mother's laughter seemed to amuse the Captain even further and he made no immediate effort to remove himself from his father's person, instead he made a comment about how 'soulful' Spock's eyes were from that angle and how he finally understood was his wife saw in him. Suddenly Zybari was glad that T'Sar was  _not_ present.

His parents remained in San Francisco for only three days. He spent that time with them and those of his relations that remained to visit. He received invitations to Nairobi and Seattle but instead accompanied his grandmother back to Shi'Kahr.

His grandfather awaited them at the Spaceport. He offered congratulations on Zybari's graduation and made inquiries as to his commission and immediate plans for the future. His grandmother joined them for an evening meal at Sarek's estate before returning to her duties at the embassy.

Zyburi found it impossible to find rest that evening. He meditated, but he found his thoughts twisting back constantly to T'Sar and the conversation he meant to have with her. He felt filled with uncertainty. He was unsure if he was making the correct decision. Undoubtedly he was being guided by emotion, but the conclusions he had reached with Ensign Evans remained reasonable. Or at least defensively so if not unquestionably.

At 03:49 he gave up on meditation and instead picked up his ka'athrya and began softly plucking tunes. After running through scales and warm ups by rote he put the instrument down and flicked through the composition book his grandmother had given him. The pages fell open to a Terran ballad that his mother was fond off. The place had been marked with a flowered sprig of grass. In the intervening three years it had lost its vivid blue hue, reduced to a thin papery ghost of its living embodiment.

He was struck with how illogical his actions in pulling the blade from the ground and pressing it between the pages of the book had been. Looking back upon it made it apparent that his actions had been some sort of emotional response to his impending separation from T'Sar. He was able, finally, to compartmentalise his uncertainties. ' _Kaiidth -What is, is.'_ his great-grandmother Okosu T'Pau was fond of saying. He would speak to T'Sar, and what would be, would be.

He was able to meditate successfully until the customary hour to breakfast.

His grandfather joined him for their usual fare of plomeek soup and tea. 'You will see T'Sar today  _sa-fu'al?_ ' He inquired evenly.

'I had intended to inquire when would be a suitable time to visit her yes.' he replied.

'Ambassador Uhura would be aware of her schedule.'

'Grandmother?' At Sarek's raised eyebrow Zybari realised he had posed his question in a very vague human manner. 'Grandmother sees T'Sar often?'

'Indeed. She maintained her acquaintance with your former classmate after your departure.' Sarek's voice betrayed a tiny hint of amusement when he continued. 'They share the seemingly prevalent female fondness for flowering biological specimens. When last I visited your grandmother's chambers at the Embassy her balcony housed no less than seventy-two Kolari Orchids .'

Sensing Zybari's interest his grandfather elaborated. 'T'Sar has developed several strains of the flower which will grow in the climate here. Apparently your Aunt Zanta was also involved.' He paused. 'My own  _adun'a_  would no doubt have followed in their endeavour with great interest. She was also overly attached to flowering plants.'

'Roses.' Zybari remarked. 'Father said she grew roses on Vulcan.'

'Yes.' Sarek responded shortly. He very rarely spoke of Lady Amanda.

Zybari made his way into the city centre and called upon his grandmother at mid-morning. She was occupied with her Ambassadorial duties when he arrived so he awaited her in her chambers. As Sarek had said, her balcony was filled almost to overflowing with a myriad of different Kolari Orchids. He recognised several of them as being of the rare strains he had sent to T'Sar. That she had utilised his gift so successfully pleased him a great deal.

His had been awaiting his grandmother for 19.2 minutes when he heard the entrance door trigger followed by that to the lounge which lead to the balcony. He turned at the soft sound of approaching footsteps with a small smile of greeting he reserved for times he was alone with his human relatives.

It froze on his face.

It was not the elderly Tamu Uhura standing in the wide doorway of the balcony, but T'Sar.

She was taller still than when he had last seen her 996.82 days previously. Her hair was pulled up in a traditional elaborate braid, secured atop her head with a jewelled pin. Her robes were pale grey and rich with embroidery and decoration, the glyphs of her house picked out in silver. In these ways her appearance did not surprise him. But her face, the brown of her eyes, the shape of her mouth and the exact shade of her skin, were a revelation to him. He had been certain he had known the exact colour of her dark eyes and the precise golden-green blush of her skin but appeared his memories were inaccurate.

The part of his brain which kept him appraised of such things informed him that his heart-rate had increased by 18% and that he had not drawn a breath in twelve seconds. He swiftly rectified the later and ignored the former. He lifted a hand into the ta'al.  _'Greetings T'Sar.'_

She mirrored the gesture.  _'Greetings Zybari.'_

He stared.

She made no effort to turn from him or break the silence between them. He assembled polite conversation in his mind - sentences that would break the tension between them. However instead of vocalising them, of inquiring after her studies, the orchids or Salan, he instead found himself making a most illogical statement.

' _I returned to Shi'Kahr so I might speak to thee.'_

In Van-kal-Vuhlkansu.

He had not conversed with her in the ancient tongue of their people before, though as a daughter of one of the High Clans she would be fluent.

' _And here thou art. Speak.'_  she responded in kind.

She was too far away, he could not speak of such things over such a distance. He crossed the balcony to stand before her. Not too close. A respectable distance.  _'Thou art bonded to Sobok.'_

' _This is so.'_

' _Art thou content in this engagement?'_

' _It is logical.'_

' _Hath thou come to derive happiness from this logical arrangement?'_

' _Happiness is irrelevant.'_

' _I do not find thy happiness to be irrelevant.'_

She did not respond.

' _I find there is much I would do to ensure it.'_  He was aware his voice was starting to reflect traces of his feelings. He consciously smoothed it.  _'If thy will it, at the appointed time, at the appointed place, I would uphold Kal'if'fee for thee.'_

For a split second he saw her, saw T'Sar in a way he had not since they had last shared thoughts. Emotion flicked over her face before she subdued it once more.

' _Thou wouldst take such an illogical risk and pay such a cost? Death if thy fail and death if thy prevail?'_

She was concerned not only that he risked his own life, but that he would be required to take Sobok's. To kill a fellow Vulcan, to kill  _any_  being, was a difficult thing for a Vulcan to consider.

' _It is our way.'_

Her breathing was uneven.  _'Thou wouldst hath me pay death, either thine or Sobok's, for the chance to be free of him?'_

' _No.'_

She looked at him sharply.

_'Not chance. If thou wilt call Kal'if'fee, I **will**  free thee of Sobok.'_

' _He may well kill thee.'_

' _He will not.'_  he let his utter confidence at that last statement be plain.

Her lips pursed slightly and she slipped back into standard Vuhlkansu. 'What if we are no longer as well suited as we were as children? This may all be for naught.'

The human part of him longed to simply make an emotional statement, but she did not want emotion, she wanted logic to support his suggestion. He was uncertain how she would react to his solution, but she would have to admit that it was a logical and expedient way to answer her question. He curled his little and ring finger against his palm and offered her his left hand.

She gasped at the gesture, her eyes widening by 9%. For 6 seconds she remained motionless. Then she lifted her hand slowly, gingerly, towards his. His heart felt as if it might burst from his torso. He could suddenly hear the blood in the veins of his ears. Her eyes met his as her fingers pressed against him.

He felt her mind against his, a tentative brush that was achingly familiar. He felt an overwhelming mix of relief and pain. He had forgotten how much he had missed her. Her own reaction was near identical. He felt weak and light headed, like he might fall to the floor. T'Sar swayed and he realised the last thought had been hers and not his. He wrapped his free arm around her and held her upright. She melted against him, their hands pressed between them. She was standing on her toes, pressing herself as close to him as possible, her breathing uneven and her eyes wide and staring. His control weakened by the intense feelings passing between them, Zybari let his head drop down so his brow pressed against hers.

She welcomed the contact, rolling her face slightly from side to side in an odd caress. Her affection did something strange to the heat within him and he flexed the arm that held her, shifted against her, pulled her even closer. He wanted… no that was wrong. He  _needed_  something. Her. Needed her.

Her voice was barely more than a whisper, her lips forming words a mere centimetre his own. 'This is right. We are right.'

She summed up a vast amount of things with her simple, logical, observation.

'Yes.' he agreed.

She sighed softly, her breath warm against his mouth and chin. He wished to press his lips to hers in a human gesture of affection, but he did not. He made no attempt to hide the errant thought from her however. He felt her curiosity. She wanted to know what a human kiss felt like. That she was not disturbed or repelled at his human desires was reassuring to him. Still, he did not attempt to follow through on his want, she was bonded to another, what they shared in this moment was scandal enough, she was not his to touch.

She surprised him. Just as she had that day long ago when she'd offered him her fingers in the ozh'esta. She rolled on her feet, tilted her head, pressed warm lips gently against his.

It was a brief hesitant contact. He was frozen in shock and she uncertain in her actions. Her kiss was pleasant, warm, but rather than satisfy him it stoked something within instead. His vague desire was suddenly bought into focus by a kiss that only hinted at what a kiss could be. She was thinking that kissing was pleasant, but overrated. Sharing his thoughts was far superior. She pitied humans.

He had slipped into Swahili.  _'That is not how humans kiss T'Sar.'_  He sensed her enjoyment at hearing him speak the language it after many years hearing it only from his grandmother.

' _As I am Vulcan my confusion is to be expected.'_  With his fingers pressed to hers he detected a teasing tone under her words.  _'Perhaps you will demonstrate?'_

He shifted his arm and raised his hand to cradle the side of her head, careful to avoid her psi points. She leant into his touch. Her reaction pleased him. He was loathe to pull from her, but to kiss her he needed to lift his forehead from where it pressed against hers. He met her eyes briefly before slowly leaning towards her and kissing her. Three years amidst teenage cadets had left him with more empirical evidence of human sexual behaviours than he would ever have wished for. He knew very well how humans kissed one another and set about slowly replicating the action. Her eyes flicked closed.

He felt curiosity and cautious pleasure from her. He pulled at her bottom lip, felt her curiosity spike at the actions, and then lathed it with his tongue. She gasped against him, her shock immense. She was shocked that he had  _licked_ her and doubly shocked that the sensation was enjoyable. He repeated the action slowly, carefully. Her head bent back slightly, pressing her lips closer to his. In response he curled his tongue briefly into the heat of her mouth. More shock. But pleasure also.

He was aware that she was analysing his every action and attempting to distil his behaviour, this 'kissing' down into its fundamentals. He found her scientific curiosity amusing. He bent his head to the side so he could fit his mouth against her more easily, and kissed her deeply. Her mouth was hot and she tasted even better than she smelt. A wave of heady throbbing pleasure washed through him. He pulled her closer. She made a little noise and curled her tongue against his, mimicking his movements. A deep satisfaction shot through him at her response. Her free hand was twisted in the lapel of his outer robe below his collarbone. She was standing on her toes, pressing herself flush against him. She was still shocked, but had swiftly concluded that kissing was a satisfying expression of affection, an assessment he agreed with.

She had experimentally pulled his bottom lip into her mouth catching it between sharp Vulcan teeth when he heard someone cough from approximately 3.5 meters away. As one he and T'Sar turned towards the balcony door, shock and anxiety passing between them. His grandmother stood framed in the doorway, smirking. T'Sar's anxiety instantly drained. She did not appear concerned at all by Tamu Uhura's presence. It was a confidence that Zybari found he did not share. He had a bonded woman in his arms, had been  _kissing_  her and their hands were still pressed together into the ozh'esta.

'Well! I see you two have sorted things out then.' his grandmother remarked cheerfully.

Zybari raised an eyebrow and glanced down at T'Sar for clarification. He felt only amusement from her however.

'I am uncertain as to your meaning grandmother.'

'You two! Everyone else figured it out  _years_ ago. It's been  _painful_  watching you both pretend to be oblivious all this time.' She clapped her hands together softly. 'Now I've made tea. Come inside and join me.'

T'Sar slowly pulled herself out of his embrace and he let her go grudgingly. She gave him that tiny Vulcan smile he had not seen in years and followed his grandmother inside.

Mercifully his grandmother made no mention of what she had interrupted. They had a conversation in Swahili focusing for the most part upon T'Sar's studies and the orchids the two women had grown together. T'Sar stayed for the midday meal, but excused herself shortly after. She informed Zybari that she would visit with he and Sarek the following day.

After she had departed his grandmother pulled him into a mortifying hug. 'Oh Zybari! I'm so happy for you and T'Sar!'

Zybari extracted himself. 'I am uncertain if happiness is an appropriate response. She is bound to Sobok. I find our situation to be most unsatisfactory.'

His grandmother waved a hand dismissively. 'You've overcome the hard part, your Vulcan pride and stubbornness, Sobok will be a breeze in comparison.'

'Breaking a betrothal is no small thing grandmother.' Zybari replied with a slight frown.

'Your father broke his, I'm sure you and T'Sar can figure out how to break hers.'

Zybari gave his grandmother a sharp look. 'Father was betrothed?'

She nodded, 'Did you not know?'

He indicated the negative with a shake of his head.

'Oh. Well yes he was. Bonded to a Vulcan girl when they were seven. They broke it off when he departed for Starfleet at 19. There was some trouble with her years later, just before your sister was born, but it all got sorted out.' She gave him a look. 'You should call him and discuss T'Sar. I'm sure between Sarek and Spock you will think of a suitable solution to your problem.'

'I am not so certain grandmother. Things are very different than they were twenty years ago. Sobok will not wish to break the engagement since it is highly unlikely he would be able to find another bondmate, and certainly not a woman of T'Sar's rank.' He paused. 'To release her would be illogical. It would almost certainly guarantee his death.'

His grandmother sighed. 'You're correct of course. What seems an obvious choice to a human, would be illogical to a Vulcan. He won't let her go without a fight will he? Even if they despised one another he'd still marry her.' She shook her head. 'And I'm not certain I could blame him entirely, much as I love T'Sar. It's such a difficult thing.' Having been Ambassador to Vulcan for almost twenty years, she was familiar with the more delicate parts of Vulcan biology but was well-mannered enough to only refer obtusely to the real reason behind betrothals. Pon'farr.

'I will discuss the matter with father and grandfather, but T'Sar has agreed to call for Kal'if'fee.'

Hi grandmother inhaled sharply. 'The Challenge?'

Zybari nodded.

Her face crumpled and she walked towards him and curled her hands around his biceps in a gesture of affection. Her dark eyes, so much like his mother's, were bright with unshed tears. 'Oh Zybari… I am sorry that you must face such a thing.'

'I have given it much thought. It is not a decision I have made lightly.' he responded.

She nodded. 'I expected no less. You are your father's son after all.' Her voice broke slightly with emotion and Zybari consciously resisted the urge to pull away from her. 'And your grandfather Zuberi, he would have done the same.'

He had observed a strange phenomenon with regards to his maternal grandfather, the late Captain Uhura. Although he was clearly much loved and admired by his human family, it was his Vulcan father who spoke of him most. His grandmother and mother mentioned him but rarely, and inevitably became upset shortly afterwards. It was strange to be named for a man he felt he knew so little of.

'I believe a human in my position would consider it his duty to participate in Kal'if'fee.' he remarked, thinking of his conversation with Ensign Evans.

His grandmother nodded. 'Any honourable man would, yes.'

'Strange to consider killing another being to be an honourable act.'

'Not so hard for a human. While Vulcans were already warp capable humans were still duelling to the death over insults.'

'And yet were humans to know of Kal'if'fee they would think it barbaric.' He paused thinking again of Evans' opinion of the matter. 'A fight to the death in the middle of a wedding.'

His grandmother tilted her head in an almost Vulcan gesture. 'I do not think the idea of Kal'if'fee is so alien to humans. There is still a portion of the traditional Christian marriage rite that calls for challenges to the union.'

Zybari raised an eyebrow. 'However no one  _dies_  during a Christian marriage grandmother.'

She pursed her lips. 'You are making it very hard for me to remain positive my boy.'

'My apologies grandmother. I thank you for your concern on my behalf.'

When Zybari informed Sarek that T'Sar would visit the next day his grandfather sent him a look that communicated a great deal for such a small gesture.

She came with Salan loping along at her side.

The big silver cat spent a great deal of time sniffing Zybari and butting his head against his legs. They walked as they had done three years previously. T'Sar made many excited inquires of Starfleet and his commission. She was also interested in the study he had made into advanced astrophysics and subspace theory at the Academy. They discussed at length Montgomery Scott's latest theorem for increased potency in matter/anti-matter mix ratios within warp cores. Although as yet unproven, it made warp speeds beyond ten on the standard scale theoretically possible.

Sarek joined them for lunch and they discussed the political situation within New Vulcan. A faction led by T'Pau was apparently in disagreement over several key policies with the rest of the High Council. Chief amidst these were the ongoing terraforming of New Vulcan and the social reforms that had been introduced after the destruction of Old Vulcan. Many believed that the reforms had served their purpose and that some of the more stringent measures should be revoked. The Council was quite divided with no clear logical course of action for them to agree upon. Zybari did not envy his grandfather and great-grandmother their positions and said as much.

His grandfather pointed out dryly that one day he would _be_  in the very same position since the line of inheritance of the House of Solkar currently ended with him.

Zybari remarked that although this was so, he need not sit the High Council just because was S'haile of a House.

His grandfather raised an eyebrow. 'I once had similar thoughts. Then I discovered that sitting back and allowing others to make mistakes is even more unsatisfying than making them yourself.'

They drank tea after the meal and Sarek spoke unexpectedly of their attachment to one another.

'I assume you have come to an understanding regarding T'Sar's betrothal.'

Zybari shared a glance with her. He felt strange discussing such a personal matter at the dinner table over tea, but Sarek more than anyone perhaps, understood their situation, having watching it unfold first hand.

'Kal'if'fee.' T'Sar responded before Zybari could frame a more appropriate reply.

Sarek nodded. 'I have expended no small effort seeking an alternative, but I have found none.' He sipped his tea. 'It is a shame that Sobok will be lost. We Vulcans are few enough.'

'You suggest I accept him?' T'Sar inquired.

'No. Kal'if'fee in this instance would serve two purposes. Firstly it would free you to marry a mate of your choosing, and secondly would serve as warning to others in a similar situation. Owing to the decimation of our species, many of our race have entered into illogical marriages with bondmates ill-suited to them. The threat of possible Kal'if'fee would encourage them to seek more suitable mates if those selected for them are unwilling. It would help remove a source of great strain upon our society.'

T'Sar nodded her agreement. 'This is true.'

'It would be best however in this instance if Sobok is unaware aware of your intentions. I assume Ambassador Uhura is aware?'

'Affirmative.' replied Zybari.

'Speak of this to no one else. Give him no cause for suspicion. If he suspects Kal'if'fee, he may take steps to prevent it. The Ambassador and I will ensure you are informed at the appointed time. Between us we will have influence enough to reach you regardless of where your posting may take you.'

'Thank you grandfather.'

The older Vulcan nodded. 'It would be best if you did not see one another further during your visit here Zybari.'

'Yes. Sobok and my family believe that my affection for Zybari lessened significantly after he left for Starfleet.' T'Sar said.

Zybari regarded her with interest. She had more or less admitted to lying. Although his father would no doubt call it 'Omitting' or 'Implying', things he himself had become quite adept at through necessity during his career with Starfleet.

Sarek left soon afterwards, his presence required by the High Council and Zybari found himself alone once more with T'Sar, most probably for the last time for a period of several years.

'Let us walk once more before I must leave Zybari.' she suggested.

He was amenable and they spent the afternoon wandering the paths and hills they had explored as children, having remarkably similar conversations. The ease with which their friendship reasserted itself was surprising to him. There was no awkwardness. It was as if he had been gone weeks instead of years.

Dusk approached and Zybari knew T'Sar would soon have to return to her parent's estate. He tried to make sure all that needed to be discussed had been done so. 'T'Sar, I will give you my starfleet comm routing address.'

She inclined her head. 'With the correct encryption, I could perhaps send you messages that could not be intercepted outside of Starfleet.' He met his eyes. 'And anything I had to say to you would be of no interest to Starfleet Intelligence.'

'It would no doubt be prudent to limit any such communication however.' he reluctantly pointed out.

'Indeed. But should I have news of import, a means of contacting you independent of S'haile Sarek and Okosu Tamu would only be logical.'

'I agree.'

He told her his routing address and she memorised it easily.

'It will change depending on my fleet assignments and commissions. I will ensure you are kept appraised of it.'

She nodded but he could see she was uncertain about something.

'You are unsure of something T'Sar?' he inquired.

'It is perhaps premature to think of such things, but… after. What shall we do?' She met his eyes evenly. He realised that her planned life had changed drastically since his return.

'What do you wish?'

'I am undecided. I could stay on New Vulcan and aid in the terraforming as was my original intention.' Zybari did not like the idea of living apart from her, but it would hardly be uncommon. 'Or I could accompany you.'

'I would like that.' He paused. 'Even if it was only for a short period. Life on a ship may not be satisfactory to you.'

'If I do find it satisfactory, I believe Starfleet would accept me into their Engineering or Science divisions?'

Zybari nodded. 'It is my understanding that your studies at the Science Academy would enable a direct transfer in a civilian capacity, or into an accelerated program through the Academy should you wish to formally enlist.'

'I will think upon it.' T'Sar remarked.

'I think you would find such a position satisfactory.' Zybari offered. She did have an avid interest warp theory. A ship would be the ideal place for her to indulge that.

They walked in companionable silence for some time, making their way back towards Sarek's estate. As they headed up the stony gully that would bring them back within sight of the building and his grandfather's servants and other employees, T'Sar halted.

Zybari stood beside her and raised an eyebrow in query.

She did not reply, simply stepped into his body, resting her left hand against his shoulder and offering her right for an ozh'esta. Zybari eagerly returned the gesture, unconsciously pressing closer to her at the wonderful sensation of her thoughts sliding across his. She sighed and rested her head against his chest. Zybari felt a mix of amazement and gratitude as he looked down at her small and beautiful and  _perfect_  in his arms. He did not vocalise his feelings, they were emotional and illogical after all, but he did not try and hide them from her.

He felt an odd feeling of nervousness, or perhaps embarrassment from her as she pulled her face from the cloth of his robes to regard him once more. Her eyes darted to his lips and he realised the source of her nerves with amusement. 'Would you have me kiss you again T'Sar?' He let his good humour seep into his tone slightly.

She pouted infinitesimally. 'Perhaps. It was a most unusual experience and I do not feel I have all the data that…'

He cut off her defensive explanation by pressing his lips against hers. He felt her excitement and curiosity. He kissed her for a period of 4.7 minutes, pulling away from her only because he was having difficulty maintaining control of his increasing arousal. Kissing her, in both the human and Vulcan sense, was impropriety enough, so do anything more would be a grave dishonour to her. She felt his decision on the matter and managed, for the third time, to shock him with her recklessness. She rose up on her feet, curled her tongue into his mouth and through the connection of their fingertips let him know that if he desired her body he was welcome to it. Right there. In the dirt.

For a few seconds he returned her kiss, allowed himself to be tempted by the curves of her body where she pressed against him. His heart was thundering at 127% of its usual tempo and his body felt oddly heated, although his body temperature remained the same as normal. When he half-heartedly pulled his lips from hers, he was left pulling oxygen into his lungs in pants. Her respiration was likewise elevated, though in her case it had the intriguing side effect of causing her breasts to rise and fall in a most distracting manner. Her outer robe hand been pushed off her shoulders and hung from her elbows. He did not recall doing so, but clearly he been the one to so rearrange it.

'Thus far I am finding your human expressions of affection to be quite satisfactory.' she remarked somewhat flippantly for a Vulcan.

'I am gratified.' Zybari responded in kind. The sun was setting turning the sky orange and red. 'We should return.'

She nodded and took a moment to neaten her hair and straighten her robes before they continued towards the house. She took her leave of him outside. It was much as their parting three years earlier had been. Vulcan. Polite. Except when she lowered her hand from the ta'al she made a quiet comment in Swahili.  _'I shall think of you often.'_

It was quite an irrational and personal statement for a Vulcan to make. Zybari responded in kind.  _'And I you.'_

Her eyes met his for a moment, and then she turned and was gone into the night.

He saw her thrice over the month he remained on New Vulcan. Glimpses on the streets. It was difficult but on all occasions he ignored her presence.

When his grandmother made her farewells to him before he departed the planet, she presented him with a small holoviewer loaded with 17 images featuring T'Sar from her personal holos. 12 were pictures taken over the three years he had been away from Shi'Kahr, 4 featured him - images his grandmother had taken when they were children - and one was from just before he left for Starfleet and showed them as tall adolescents. He wished in vain he had an image of them as they were now.

When he stepped off the transporter pad and onto the  _USS Victory_ 107.3 hours and three shuttle rides later to take up his first commision, he still had the little viewer in his pocket.


	3. Kal'i'farr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for the reviews, and thank you to Lamb for her beta'ing.
> 
> In case anyone is wondering about Tuvok being well, a bitch in this chapter, his behaviour is based upon the flashback he had of his first stint in Starfleet and how he didn't actually want to be there. So this is immature sulky Tuvok, not grown up cool Tuvok from Voyager.
> 
> Also the time line is out of whack here, but Sulu being in command of the Excelsior with Rand along for the ride is from Voyager/TOS movies/comic books. Nothing else is even vaaaguely canon however.
> 
> Warnings: Violence and Sex.

' _Commander Zybari report to the Captain's ready room.'_

The Commander in question looked up from his place at one of the Deck 12 forward refectory tables. The officers around him glanced over at him with varying levels of interest. Lieutenant Commander Rand, who had been discussing her son's misadventures at Starfleet Academy with himself and Doctor Chapel, met his eye and remarked, 'I'll finish telling you about George's latest escapades later Zybari.'

'Very well Lieutenant Commander Rand.' Zybari replied evenly.

Rand rolled her eyes at his continued use of her rank during their off-duty rec time but knew better than to mention it. She'd served on the  _Enterprise_  with his parents when he was a child, and he found the thought of calling her 'Janice' simply too disrespectful.

'Run along before the tea Sulu's no doubt poured for you gets cold.' Doctor Chapel advised from her seat beside Rand.

The Captain did indeed have a habit of serving tea. Constantly. It was rare to find him without a cup nearby, even in the command chair on the bridge.

Zybari stood and bid the ship's chief communication and medical officers farewell. The two blonde women instantly fell back into gossipy conversation. Whilst he was... appropriately  _fond_  of them, they were not his first choice for stimulating conversation amidst the crew. He placed his half eaten lunch into the recycler before walking out of the hall.

As he made the journey of 178 seconds to the Captain's ready room, he contemplated possible reasons for the summons. The beta shift had only began 37.4 minutes previously, so he was not due at his post at the helm for another 11 hours and 22.6 minutes. Lieutenant Grant, the beta shift helmsman, had appeared to be in perfect health when he had handed over the console to him earlier, so he deemed it unlikely he would be required to cover his shift due to illness.

He estimated disciplinary action at a likelihood of less than 2.1%, an issue of Vulcan diplomacy at 7.6%, a request for advice relevant to an area of his expertise at 37.9% and finally incidental 'gossip' pertaining to his family at a likelihood of 52.4%. Although not as casual in his command style as James Kirk, Hikaru Sulu was still quite relaxed. He considered his crew and Starfleet colleagues to be his 'family' and wherever possible treated them as such. This meant Zybari's opinion was often called upon by the Captain for matters of such importance as: 'What should I get your parents for their wedding anniversary?'

Zybari exited the turbolift and crossed the bridge, ignoring the curious glances of the beta shift crew, most notably the cool regard of junior science officer Ensign Tuvok and chimed the ready room door.

'Enter!' the Captain called out immediately.

Captain Sulu was seated before his computer screen. 'Take a seat Commander.' He indicated the cup and saucer before the chair opposite. 'Vulcan spice, black, no sugar.' The Captain knew precisely how each member of his senior staff took their tea.

Zybari sat down and took a sip of the beverage. 'Thank you sir.' It appeared he had arrived before the beverage had opportunity to go cold.

'I have received a most puzzling set of orders. I am directed to make haste for New Vulcan where I am to contact Administrator Sarek and Ambassador Uhura for planetary co-ordinates,' he glanced up from the screen as he mentioned his maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather. '… and issue shore leave to my alpha bridge crew and all other non-essential personnel for a period of one week effective immediately upon arrival in orbit. I am then to await further instruction.'

Zybari felt his heart-rate increase by 9% and attempted to keep his facial expression neutral despite the nervous jolt of energy he felt shoot through him.

'Ensign Tuvok was unable to shed any light upon these mysterious summons. We are half way across the Beta Quadrant - 68 light years from New Vulcan and in my estimation there are no less than 27 Starfleet vessels closer, not to mention the reserve fleet docked at Earth, and yet we have been singled out.' He gave Zybari a penetrating look. 'Can you offer me any insight Commander?'

Zybari struggled with an appropriate response.

The Captain spoke again, hesitantly, 'You aren't…  _ill_ are you Commander?'

At the veiled reference to Pon'farr Zybari shook his head. Captain Sulu had been present upon the  _Enterprise_ when his father had suffered his  _time,_ though naturally it was not something anyone ever mentioned, directly at least. 'No Captain. Though I believe I am the cause of this request.'

Sulu raised an eyebrow. 'Explain.'

'I am afraid I am unable to adequately sir. It is a personal matter. I can tell you that it will not adversely affect the  _Excelsior_ or her crew however.'

'How reassuring Commander.' Despite his words, the Captain did not, in fact, sound reassured.

The door chimed.

'Enter!' barked the Captain.

The aforementioned Ensign Tuvok entered stiffly. 'We have received new orders Captain.'

'Proceed.'

'We are to stop at Deep Space 4 and beam Admirals Pike and Kirk aboard before proceeding to New Vulcan.' Tuvok said. He was a Vulcan approximately ten years Zybari's senior and in his opinion singularly unsuited to a career in Starfleet. He performed his duties admirably but seemed to hold the rest of the crew, the humans especially, in faint distaste.

Zybari suspected he also disliked being outranked by a younger Vulcan, which was illogical since the main reason for the difference in their ranks was due to the fact that Tuvok had not attended the Academy until his 25th year. He suspected Tuvok thought his rise to Commander had more to do with his parent's influence rather than the disparate ages at which they had begun their careers.

The Captain shot Zybari an expectant look. 'Okay  _clearly_ you know what's going on here Zybari. Explain. That's an order.'

'I am... uncertain where to begin.' Zybari remarked.

'If I may Captain?' Tuvok inquired.

'Very well Ensign.'

'I believe it likely that the Commander's presence is required at a wedding in Shi'Kahr.'

'Who's wedding?' the Captain inquired.

'I can only assume a member of the Commander's House or Clan.'

'Well Zybari? Is that it? We're dashing off to see some cousin of yours tie the knot?' He pursed his lips. 'Seems damn presumptuous of Administrator Sarek to use the  _Excelsior_  as a glorified shuttle.'

'I am tempted to agree Captain. It seems an illogical and unnecessary divergence from our mission.' Tuvok observed.

Zybari raised an eyebrow and shot Tuvok a look of faint disapproval before returning his attention to his vexed Captain. Tuvok's tone was quite disrespectful considering Zybari outranked him and that their orders came from Sarek, who grandfather or not, was the head of Vulcan High Command and most definitely deserving of more respect. 'It is a complicated situation, but yes, my presence is required at a wedding ceremony.'

'Not your own wedding though?' The Captain prompted warily.

'No sir.'

The Captain nodded and regarded the Ensign once more. 'Have the helmsman plot in a course for Deep Space 4. Maximum warp.'

'Yes sir.' Tuvok replied before departing.

'Okay he's gone. What's really happening here Zybari?' Sulu sounded part concerned and part exasperated.

'I am required to participate in  _Kal'if'fee_  at a wedding. Owing to the nature of Vulcan weddings… it would appear my grandparents have 'pulled strings' so to speak so I will be there in time. I apologise for this. I agree it is a wasteful deviation from our mission.'

'Cali-fee?' The Captain inquired.

'An ancient Vulcan ritual Captain. It is imperative that I am present.' He paused. 'You are, I believe, familiar with the circumstances of a Vulcan wedding sir?'

'The general, ah, 'jist' of it, yes.' The Captain replied awkwardly. 'Your parents… Um. Yes. I know the basics.'

'You can then perhaps appreciate the inability to plan ahead for the ceremony and the 'presumptuous' actions of my grandparents with regards to the  _Excelsior_.' Zybari continued.

Sulu seemed content with the explanation. He nodded. 'Very well Commander. I'll expect you to be present to greet the Admirals.'

'Affirmative Sir.'

Admirals Kirk and Pike were beamed aboard some 8.2 hours later and the ship set a course to New Vulcan. Both men seemed anxious and offered their support and advice if he had need of either. It was apparent from their words that they were aware of what would occur on New Vulcan. Zybari declined their offers, but thanked them for their presence. He did wonder who had seen fit to include them in the plans however. His grandfather?

He spent the 3.1 hours remaining before his next shift in meditation, preparing as best he could for what was to come.

When the time came to leave his quarters he found himself unsure of what to wear. To attend such a ceremony traditional robes would be the most appropriate, however he would be on duty for approximately 2.8 hours before they arrived at New Vulcan and technically when on shore leave during active duty officers were required to be in uniform. His uniform also offered superior mobility of movement. Logic won out and he donned his golden tunic, forgoing his phaser.

He made his way to the bridge and relieved Lieutenant Grant at the helm. The rest of the journey to New Vulcan was mundane. Zybari found his thoughts far more confused than normal. He often thought on T'Sar when performing his more tedious duties, but usually he made an effort to focus upon his work. He found he was unable to do so.

He had not seen her for 2264 days, 12 hours and 9 minutes. He had not spoken to her directly in 278 days 3 hours and 47 minutes. She had contacted him via his grandmother's console at the embassy in Shi'Kahr and they had spoken at great length. He found himself replaying parts of that conversation now. The fact that he would soon see her, be within touching distance of her, was difficult for him to truly accept after so long apart.

'Arrival at New Vulcan in T-minus 2 minutes sir.' Zybari informed the Captain giving him the standard proximity warning and triggering a countdown timer overlay upon the viewscreen.

'Very good Mr Zybari.' Sulu replied, smoothing his hair and adjusting his uniform in preparation for visual communication once they arrived.

Zybari focused on the helm controls, monitoring the systems closely. 'Arrival at New Vulcan in 10 seconds sir.' he said as per regulations, although the Captain and the rest of the bridge crew, and ship for that matter, had access to the countdown timer.

He applied the inertia dampener and simultaneously engaged the impulse engines and spooled down the warp drive. The  _USS Excelsior_  eased into position above the red planet of New Vulcan.

'Standard orbit Commander.' The Captain directed him.

'Affirmative Captain.' he replied.

Vulcan Command was transmitting an open position in their orbiting holding pattern and Zybari used impulse power to orientate and position the ship into their designated orbit with an altitude of 20,000km.

'We are being hailed by Vulcan High Command and... the  _USS Enterprise_ sir.' the duty communications officer informed Captain Sulu.

'Vulcan Command on screen lieutenant.'

The expressionless face of a female Vulcan sub-commander filled the viewscreen.

Captain Sulu politely raised his hand into the ta'al. 'Greetings, I am Captain Sulu of the  _USS Excelsior._  I am under orders to make contact with Administrator Sarek of New Vulcan and Ambassador Uhura of Earth.'

'You will be contacted by a representative of the Administrator shortly. Maintain standard orbit. You have leave to transport crew to the planet's surface.' The transmission cut.

'Charming as ever.' The Captain remarked with dry humour to his bridge crew. 'Enterprise on screen.'

The viewscreen once more flickered to show a Vulcan, but this time it was a Vulcan in a golden Starfleet Captain's uniform and his face, whilst still cool and emotionless, was not as cold as the previous Vulcan's had been.

'Captain Sulu. It is pleasing to see you.' Zybari's father remarked casually.

'The feeling is mutual Captain Spock.'

His father visibly glanced across the bridge. He met Zybari's eyes and inclined his head offering a greeting in Vuhlkansu.  _'Live long and prosper. It is pleasing to see you my sa-fu (son).'_

' _Peace and long life. I am pleased also osa'mekh_  ( _honoured father).'_ he responded in kind, painfully aware of Tuvok's undivided attention. He prayed his father didn't decide to make one of his rare human style expressions of affection. Or humour. Of late he had been experimenting with the use of similes and idioms in conversation, with mixed success much to their mother's amusement.

Fortunately his father maintained his usual restraint. 'I see other unexpected familiar faces. Jim, Chris I had not thought to find you aboard the  _Excelsior_.'

'They _insisted_  I pick them up from Deep Space 4.' Captain Sulu drawled.

Admiral Kirk stepped up beside Zybari and slapped him on the shoulder. 'Didn't miss his graduation, could hardly miss this. I'd be a damn poor excuse for an uncle if I did.'

Zybari, painfully aware of the blatant favouritism and nepotism currently on display to the combined bridge crews of the  _Enterprise and Excelsior_ restrained the urge to sigh. He met his father's dark eyes across the viewscreen. 'Whilst I am  _gratified_  by the presence of so many friends and family, I must remark upon my desire to 'get a move on' as it were. This is surely not an appropriate use of Starfleet resources.'

His father's mouth twitched minutely in amusement.

'A chip off the old block eh Jim?' Admiral Pike remarked.

Admiral Kirk smirked. 'Oh undoubtedly. Though there's a definite streak of the patented Nyota Uhura feistiness under all that Vulcan stubbornness and fondness for regulations.'

A tall dark woman appeared beside his father on the viewscreen. She crossed her arms and made a gesture with her left eyebrow that Zybari knew indicated annoyance. 'I'm right here Jim.'

'That you are! And looking as beautiful as ever might I add Commander Uhura.' the admiral replied in an overly cheerful tone.

His mother ignored the admiral and looked at him instead.  _'I am pleased to see you again my dearest one.'_

Sadly his mother did not have his father's restraint. He could practically feel Tuvok's disapproval at his mother's emotional greeting.

' _Oko'mekh (honoured mother). I am also pleased to see you.'_  he replied.

'Pleasant as this little reunion is, perhaps we could hold it in person. On the planet?' Captain Sulu interjected with amusement. Zybari let his breath out in relief.

'An excellent suggestion. Commander Chekov is forwarding you beaming co-ordinates now Captain.' His father replied evenly. 'Spock out.' The screen flicked back to the external view.

'We have beam down co-ordinates sir.' the communications officer confirmed.

'Right! Let's get this show on the road!' Admiral Kirk exclaimed.

As he got to his feet Captain Sulu gestured to the assembled relief crew who'd been assigned to replace the alpha bridge crew during their unexpected shore leave. 'Lieutenant Commander,' he said directing his attention at the ranking command officer in the group. '- you have the con.'

Zybari joined the Captain and the Admirals and they made their way to the nearest transporter room. They were joined enroute by an out of breath Lieutenant Commander Rand and an apparently winded Doctor Chapel. Rand slapped Admiral Kirk on the arm. 'You were going to beam on down without me weren't you Jim Kirk!'

'Ah, no Janice… I was just about to buzz your comm!' Admiral Kirk replied in what was a clear fallacy.

'Even I can tell that statement is inaccurate.' Zybari remarked distractedly. He was finding himself in an increasing state of nervousness and anticipation.

Pike, Sulu and Chapel laughed. Kirk smiled unrepentantly.

'Sorry  _darling._ ' Admiral Kirk replied to the Lieutenant Commander. 'I wasn't thinking.'

She raised an eyebrow at his tone and fell into step beside him. 'Don't you  _darling_  me Jim Kirk. I've divorced you once, I'll do it again.'

Zybari had ceased attempting to understand the mystifying romantic relationship between James Kirk and Janice Rand. As it currently stood, they had been married twice, divorced once and were currently married - happily apparently - but living apart. Lightyears apart. It was an exceedingly complicated relationship. About the only thing they seemed to agree on with any consistency was their son George Leonard Kirk.

They transported down to the planet and Zybari instantly recognised the main reception room of the Terran Embassy. His parents, grandmother, grandfather, Doctor McCoy and Commanders Gaila McCoy and Chekov were standing nearby. He had barely had the chance to check that his atoms had reassembled to his satisfaction before his mother had pulled him into an exuberant hug. He was struck by how much smaller she was in person than he recalled.

' _Oh my baby why didn't you tell me!'_  He was gratified she'd made the emotional statement in Swahili as opposed to standard or Vulhkansu.  _'I nearly had a fit when your grandfather told us!'_  she pulled her head up to shoot a pointed glance at his father,  _'… though your father didn't seem surprised in the slightest.'_

' _Nyota, given the situation it was only logical for the possibility of such an eventuality to have occurred to me.'_  From his tone it was apparent his father had repeated the sentiment several times recently.

' _Well you should have shared the possibility of said eventuality with your wife!'_  His mother had not released him and argued with his father from her position against his chest. It was exceedingly awkward.

His father's voice was as mild as ever.  _'I had no wish to cause you undue distress.'_

' _Well I'm distressed now Spock! Our son's about to go fight to the death!'_  Zybari had a terrible feeling that his mother might cry.

His father stepped up beside him, his voice soft as he replied to his mother.  _'It is Zybari's decision my wife. It makes no difference if you have worried yourself for a day or a decade.'_

'Mother.' His use of standard jarred her attention.  _'Father is correct. And I did not speak of this to him either.'_ She pursed her lips slightly but ceased her arguing. Zybari squeezed her slightly in reassurance then stepped back from her. She took hold of his father's arm, apparently her need for reassurance greater than her displeasure at him.

An aide quickly entered and crossed to speak in rapid standard to Ambassador Uhura. Sarek, who was standing near enough to overhear, turned sharply and caught Zybari's eye from across the room. 'Zybari. It is time.'

He found he was suddenly calmer than expected. He nodded to his grandfather and without further discussion the group made its way out of the Embassy. His mother approached him once more and clutched tightly onto his left arm and Zybari made no effort to remove her. The heat of Shi'Kahr hit him in a soothing wave as they exited the building and made their way to the place of koon-ut Kal'if'fee (marriage or challenge) that stood near the centre of the city. Given the diminished size of the clans of Vulcan, many had not yet built private places to hold their marriage ceremonies and communal spaces were utilised.

Wedding drums could be heard dimly as they approached the circular gallery surrounding the sandy space and the central altar that formed the structure. Chimes hung around the arcade and caught in the breeze in a tinkling melody. In the distance bells and more drums could be heard as the bride's party approached. Many had gathered to witness the marriage.

More than was usual.

Vulcans did not celebrate weddings in the manner of humans and usually only very close family and friends were in attendance. Zybari observed many Vulcans present that were of no relation to either Sobok or T'Sar. It was apparent that some inkling of what was to occur had gotten out amidst the citizens of Shi'Kahr and curiosity had won over decorum. There was a mix of Vulcans in the crowd. S'haile, T'Sai and lesser Osu of the high clans stood alongside Vulcans of more modest backgrounds. Most remarkably was that including T'Pau, Zybari counted three Maat pid-koms and half a dozen priestesses. Their presence without reason was unheard of.

As befitted her rank, Zybari's great-grandmother T'Pau sat on a sedan chair with two guards and four attendants. She met Zybari's eyes and indicated that he should stand beside her.

Sobok stood in the centre of the clearing beside the altar and wedding gong. He stared at Zybari with a clarity that belied Plak'tow. His father quietly spoke from where he stood nearby with Zybari's mother in Swahili.  _'He calls for her before the blood fever. He knows of the challenge.'_

' _It matters not.'_  Zybari responded, and it truly did not. Sobok would die, whether he did so in plak'tow or not was irrelevant.

' _Kaiidth (What is, is)._ ' T'Pau remarked with approval in Vulhkansu. Zybari regarded her with interest. He doubted that she spoke Swahili, but with his ancient great-grandmother it was unwise to make assumptions.

The gallery continued to fill with Vulcans quietly murmuring to each other. The smattering of bright Starfleet uniforms stood out amidst the Vulcan robes starkly and Zybari could feel the attention upon his family and their human companions. Then there was commotion at the entrance to the gallery as the bridal party entered and those in Starfleet uniforms were ignored.

First came elaborately robed attendants shaking wedding bells, then the matriarch of Sobok's clan, T'Met, entered carried in a litter and followed by more attendants and members of both Sobok and T'Sar's clans. Finally came T'Sar flanked by her parents S'haile Narvok and Okosu T'Lar - the pid-kom of Maat Sardok and Grandmaster of Gol. T'Sar's mother was perhaps the only Vulcan alive that rivalled ancient T'Pau in rank and honour.

T'Sar's face revealed nothing but she met Zybari's eyes briefly before taking her place beside the altar. The wedding drums fell abruptly silent.

Sobok approached T'Met and knelt before her as they exchanged greetings. The elder melded briefly with him and nodded.  _'It is time.'_

His mother spoke very softly, in a voice no one closer than T'Pau, Vulcan or not, would overhear.  _'But he is not is plak'tow.'_

T'Pau looked on in faint disapproval. T'Met should have delayed the ceremony if Sobok was not yet in the midst of his time, but she had not.

T'Met spoke in Vuhlkansu.  _'What you are about to see comes down from the time of the Beginning. This is the Vulcan heart, this is the Vulcan soul - this is our way.'_ She paused and regarded the assembled crowd.  _'Kah'if'farr_  ( _It is Time)!'_

At her words Sobok raised his arm to strike the wedding gong once more. Zybari's heart seemed to pause in his chest as T'Sar raised her hand and blocked him.

' _Kal'if'fee (_ Act of Challenge)!' Her voice was calm, but loud and adamant.

The assembled crowd shifted and murmuring broke out. Kal'if'fee had not been called in recent history, and not at all since the destruction of Old Vulcan.

' _Kah-if-fee! (It is challenged!)'_ called out T'Met in response.

She turned and regarded T'Sar coldly.  _'S'rlk N'saau T'Sar -you chose the Kal'if'fee. Are you prepared to be the property of he that is victor?'_

' _I am prepared.'_  T'Sar responded.

T'Met turned from her to Sobok.  _'G'rhk S'tl Sobok do you accept the challenge as is our law and custom?'_

' _I accept.'_  He responded, though his voice was slightly tense.

T'Met returned her attention to T'Sar _. 'Name your champion T'Sar.'_

Zybari knew he was outwardly still, but his heart rate was proving difficult to control and time seemed to be slowing and distorting around him. He was vaguely aware that of his father reaching towards him through their familial bond. A wave of utter confidence, certainty and pride washed over him. His father supported his choice and was convinced he would succeed. He inhaled deeply, his father's support helping him settle his katra once more.

T'Sar spoke in the correct ritual phrases _. 'As it was in the dawn of our days, as it is today and as it will be for all tomorrows, I make my choice.'_  She turned to face him and pointed.  _'I choose S'chn T'gai Zybari Kipruto.'_

The humans present suddenly seemed to have an inkling of what was going on. Janice Rand and Gaila McCoy, both fluent in Vuhlkansu, gasped. Captain Sulu's eyes widened almost comically. Zybari did not notice the reactions of any others in the crowd however because he could not look away from T'Sar.

T'Met broke the spell _. 'The choice is made. S'chn T'gai Zybari, son of Spock, son of Sarek, will you stand in the Kal'if'fee for this woman?'_

He required no time to consider, his reply came easily.  _'I will stand in Kal'if'fee for T'Sar.'_ He spoke her name, refusing to refer to her as a nameless woman.

The expression on Sobok's face as he stared at Zybari was as near to hatred as Zybari had ever seen on a Vulcan. It certainly made Ensign Tuvok's distain seem exceedingly mild by comparison. Clearly even though he was not yet in Plak'tow Sobok was affected by his time.

T'Met continued, addressing the assembled crowd as much as the marriage party _. 'Here begins the act of combat for possession of the woman T'Sar. As it was at the time of the Beginning, so it is now.'_  She gestured imperiously to her attendants.  _'Bring forth the lirpa.'_

Two guards in ceremonial armour removed elaborate lirpas from a carved chest. Zybari stepped forth and accepted one as Sobok was given the other.

T'Met spoke once more _. 'If both survive the lirpa, combat will continue with the ahn-wun. It has begun, let no-one interfere on pain of death.'_  The ceremonial executioner standing to one side of the arena hefted his large sword to emphasis her words.

The assembled spectators stepped back so that only Zybari, Sobok and T'Sar remained in the centre before the altar.

T'Sar walked calmly from the circle, pausing for a moment before him and speaking in Swahili.  _'Ushindi mpendwa (victory beloved)_.'

Despite the emotional nature of her words, which none save his family would have understood, her face remained still. Sobok snarled in anger that she dared speak to him at all. She ignored him and walked across the sand to stand between his human grandmother and Vulcan grandfather near T'Pau. She could not have been more blatant in her support of him. The wedding drums started up once more, this time the steady droning beat of Kal'if'fee.

Zybari hefted the lirpa. He had practiced much with the weapon over the past 6.2 years. It felt familiar in his hands. He focused the entirety of his attention upon Sobok. He did not look forward to killing his opponent, it was a waste given the decimation of their people, but it was their way. 'What is, is.' T'Pau had said. He would endeavour to end the fight as swiftly as possible.

Sobok, his emotional control frayed by pon'farr, yelled and charged, lifting the lirpa into the standard attack position. Zybari easily blocked the blow but did not push the offensive. He wished to understand the level of Sobok's skill before he committed to any attacks. It would not do to rush unthinking into battle. There was too much at risk to give Sobok an opening to easy victory.

Sobok's lips were pulled back from his sharp Vulcan teeth and a low growling like the warning of a large feline rumbled from him. Zybari carefully observed the manner with which he handled the lirpa. His grip displayed familiarity but not any particular skill as such. He focused on the crescent bladed end, slashing at Zybari. He did not attempt to utilise the heavy club at the other end as anything more than a counter-weight. Sobok had been proficient in the basic  _suss mahna_  they had been taught in school, but he had not had any especial interest in martial arts. It did not appear that had changed.

Zybari side-stepped a series of vicious swipes and experimentally struck out in a modified kick from a 4th level  _suss mahna_  kata. Sobok blocked it automatically as Zybari had expected. When he did so Zybari struck with the club of the lirpa and Sobok was not strong enough to block the blow completely. The dull impact sent him backwards into the sand.

Without hesitation Zybari brought it down upon his head, intending to crush his skull, but Sobok was able to roll away and regain his footing. Zybari did not give him time for further recovery but pressed the attack. He maintained the strength of his blows with the lirpa and mixed in a variety of kicks, grabs and punches from the wide range of martial arts he was familiar with so that Sobok was forced to waste his energy blocking the powerful lirpa rather than dodging. He awaited an opening for a death blow - eventually Sobok's  _suss mahna_  defence would falter.

'You forget you are not truly Vulcan. You tire yourself half-breed!' Sobok spoke in heavily accented standard so that all present would hear the insult. The Vulcans assembled did not react though the humans glared and muttered disapproval to one another.

Zybari recalled his long ago attempts as explaining his physiology to Sobok. Clearly they had fallen on deaf ears. Zybari's weight to strength ratio was indeed slightly lower than that of the average Vulcan – his muscles were not quite as dense. But he had received more than equal in exchange for the loss of efficiency from his human dna.

He was as tall as the men of his mother's family, only slightly shorter than his namesake Zuberi Uhura, and as such the slightly lower density of his body was a moot point. His opponent was tall and strong for a Vulcan, but by Zybari's estimation he was approximately 47kgs heavier with more developed musculature than Sobok and at least 12cms taller. Physically Zybari was superior, 'half-breed' or not.

He knew that he would have no problem swinging the heavy lirpa around for an extended period, he had trained so he could do just that. Despite being born of a human woman, he would not 'tire himself' as Sobok suggested. As such he did not bother responding, instead he feinted with the lirpa, delivered a high kick that forced Sobok to twist slightly off balance and then utilised a modified chinese kung fu spear technique. Sobok was able to dodge the initial pass of the weapon but was unprepared for the follow up and was only barely able to bring his own weapon up in time.

To Zybari's irritation, Sobok's lirpa broke, the shaft shattering with the strength of the blow. Sobok let the club fall to the ground and slashed out with the bladed end.

T'Met's voice cut across the sand like a whip.  _'Kroikah (stop immediately)!'_

Zybari blocked Sobok's blow and stepped back slightly, unmoving but ready to react should his opponent attack.

' _The Ahn-wah!'_  At T'Met's words the attendants shook their bells once more. The wedding drums beat a fast tattoo for 10 seconds before returning to the steady drone of challenge.

The two guards returned and the combatants were armed with ahn-wahs. They were not weapons which Zybari found particularly effective, but he had attempted to incorporate their use into other forms of hand to hand combat in preparation.

Sobok did not wait until the guards had cleared the sands, he charged Zybari with a loud yell, the ahn-wah spinning above his head. His tactics were a combination of  _suss mahna_  and blind fury. Zybari found his moves easy enough to block and counter, though the ahn-wah's exact trajectory was difficult to accurately calculate. He had a great deal of practice sparring in suss mahna - his father was highly proficient as was his grandfather, and the irrational fury of Sobok's attacks was comparable to that he had encountered in many other humanoid species during his time in Starfleet.

Fighting Sobok was rather like fighting a very angry, very strong human, it was difficult to guess his next moves because he was not planning ahead, but  _suss mahna_  was a form based on defence and was ill-suited to the manner in which Sobok was utilising it.

6.2 minutes passed. Zybari grew slightly irritated. He disliked the ahn-wah. It was an illogical and in his opinion cowardly weapon. Sobok in comparison was far more comfortable with it than he had been with the lirpa. He swung and twisted the corded weapon attempting to trip, whip and entangle Zybari. His patience at an end, when Sobok snapped the weighted cord towards him Zybari stepped into its path and wound it around his right forearm. Following the momentum of the looping movement he pulled Sobok sharply across the sands towards him.

Sobok's eyes widened slightly in surprise but he came gamely at Zybari with a series of kicks and punches easily batted aside. They were tied close together by Sobok's weapon. Sobok would have to release it to step back, and Zybari did not think he would consider such an action. It would be too close to conceding a point to him. Zybari pressed forward in a series of  _suss maha_  open-palmed thrusts mixed with terran wing-chun and finished with a Klingon  _mok-bara_  headbutt. Non-Vulcan martial arts had thus far proved most effective. Sobok clearly had not made a study of them and was unaware of correct counters.

Before Sobok could recover from the headbutt Zybari twisted and kicked him with his full strength, planting his feet and bracing himself as he did so. The ahn-wah stretched then tightened between them but rather than letting go Sobok clutched tighter on the other end of the weapon as he flew backwards.

In battle between Zybari's grip, Sobok's momentum and the ahn-wah's tensile resilience – the ahn-wah conceded defeat. The reinforced cord snapped.

Sobok's fell heavily to the sand, panting, 2.7 meters from Zybari's feet.

' _Kroikah!'_  T'Met's voice rung out across the gallery once more. The drums fell silent again. The only noise for a few seconds was Sobok's harsh breathing.

Zybari waited for the matriarch to choose a third weapon.

' _Tilek (Spear)!'_  T'Met called. The bells rang out and the drums beat.

Her choice pleased Zybari. She had no doubt chosen the spear so that Sobok could compensate for Zybari's greater height with its longer reach, but it was a weapon he found most satisfying to utilise and was proficient with in several different styles.

He accepted the long staff banded with steel and topped with a leaf blade from one of the ceremonial guards.

T'Met's choice, whilst logical, did not prove well suited to Sobok. Spears were not a popular weapon in Vulcan martial arts, they were considered a guard's weapon and many Vulcans considered them demeaning. Zybari had no such compunctions. He had studied several spear and staff forms of martial arts, finding the terran chinese variants most suitable to his taste. He enjoyed the fluidity of the movements and the dignity the long reach of the weapon offered. There was no need to get close to or even touch his opponent if he was armed with a spear.

He did not wait for Sobok to press the attack this time, he charged and slipped straight into his preferred shaolin qiang form. When he had first encountered the exaggerated spinning movements of the terran style as a cadet at the academy they had been confusing to his Vulcan logic. He anticipated a similar reaction from Sobok.

He was not disappointed. Vulcan techniques with the spear were practical and basic, Sobok did not know how to counter the flamboyant Chinese style. Zybari performed a series of movements by rote, thrusting and slashing at his opponent and sending him backwards in retreat. His mind calmed utterly as he confidently pressed his advantage. He mixed modern kung fu with the equally elaborate Andorian Imperial spear form and Sobok was barely able to maintain his defence. He snarled and growled in frustration, clearing approaching plak'tow and losing the last of his emotional control. Zybari anticipated that his defence would crumble as soon as that occurred.

After narrowly avoiding having his left foot impaled, Sobok flipped forward and into Zybari's reach, clearly having realised that attempting to keep himself at a distance was not a viable option. Zybari adjusted his stance instantly, switching to a vertical spear style and mixing in staff forms for defensive blocks. To his surprise however, after a few exchanged blows at close quarters Sobok held a block, their spears locked against one another. It was an illogical move – Zybari was stronger and a straight attempt at overpowering him was pointless.

That did not prove to be Sobok's intention however. He tilted back, letting his spear slide down against Zybari's before released his grip and stepping to one side so that he could wrap his left hand around Zybari's right in a violent perversion of the  _ozh'esta_.

Zybari could not contain the shocked and disgusted shout that escaped him as Sobok's violent plak'tow fevered mind stabbed out against him. He stumbled under the onslaught, shifting and trying to step backwards and break the connection. Before he was able to however he felt the thoughts Sobok wished to share with him. The rage and lust, both violent and sexual, that Sobok projected was terrifying. He wanted to tear Zybari apart then rape T'Sar in his blood. An image of T'Sar filled his mind. He saw her beneath him, a hand around her throat and the other pinning her arms, her cool Vulcan façade broken as she screamed and cried in pain and anguish. Sobok was even more angry at her than Zybari. She was  _his_  and she dared chose another. A half human at that.

Summoning his wits Zybari shifted and delivered a hard blow with the butt of the spear sending Sobok back across the sands once more. The unchecked rage and mad lust snapped back and his mind was once more his own again. He drew a deep breath and tried to clear the disturbing images from his head. He realised that Sobok would not release T'Sar, even if he was victorious and his pon'farr lifted through their combat, he would keep her because she had insulted him. He would hurt her for defying and humiliating him. He had not considered such an outcome.

It was not just the human's murmuring in the crowd now, many Vulcans were exchanging quiet remarks at Sobok's blatant  _kae'at knal'lur_. To touch another's mind without permission was a crime.

Zybari felt unsettled.

His thoughts would not order properly. Sobok's touch had affected him deeply. He focused on calming his breathing and heart-rate, setting them to the steady rhythm of the wedding drums, and attempted to block the memory of Sobok's thoughts completely. He would meditate upon them and cleanse himself of their emotional effect later. For now he needed to compartmentalise them.

Sobok seemed well aware of the effect his unconventional attack had had upon him _. 'I'll have her here, Zybari! On sand green with your tainted blood!'_  Sobok spoke in Vuhlkansu, his voice thick and strange with encroaching plak'tow. The murmuring of crowd was much more pronounced.

His words brought afresh the images of violence he'd glimpsed in Sobok's head and Zybari's mind reeled once more. As he attempted to calm himself again he realised that his father was reaching to him through their familial bond again, sending reassurance and calm. He could feel the faint impression of his grandfather and great-grandmother doing the same. Their bonds were much weaker, separated as they were by generations, but they shared his blood and a connection remained all the same. Their stoic calm enabled him to push aside the disruption he felt.

He regarded Sobok, analysing his actions over the 18.3 minutes that had passed since their battle had begun. He shifted the spear in his grip, testing the weight of it and adjusting his calculations. Using his full speed he charged Sobok. The spear flashed in an elaborate whirlwind attack in the flashy shaolin style, drawing Sobok's attention. Zybari flipped as he neared Sobok, a move that served no logical purpose save confusing his opponent further. His spear stabbed out towards the left side of Sobok's torso, where his heart beat, and sobok lifted, turned and parried.

Zyburi was already shifting his attack however, swinging the spear up in a great curve and using the momentum to aid him as he jumped and imbedded his foot into Sobok's left thigh. He kicked himself off and upwards using Sobok as a ladder and brought his right foot down on his shoulder. For a split second he was above the shocked Vulcan, looking down on him. Then he twisted and reversed his hold on his spear and put his weight and gravity behind it as it bore down upon Sobok.

The long leaf blade slipped behind his collarbone and down into the softness of his internal organs. Zybari heard a soft wet moan from the Vulcan beneath him as it passed diagonally through his lungs. Sobok crumbled beneath him even as the spear pressed its way through his stomach and intestines towards its final destination. He was on his knees and falling to the side when the blade reached his heart and parted it in two before sliding out from his skin above his hip to bury itself in the sand. Zybari released his grip and twisted to land on his feet beside the slumped figure of Sobok.

Green blood stained his shoulder and bloomed across the material of his robe. Sobok made a gasping noise, blood staining his mouth, and then was still. The spear impaling him prevented him from falling flatly to the ground and he slumped, head-bowed, grotesquely. Around him the sand turned green.

Zybari felt strange. His thoughts buzzing. He heard raised voices, human and Vulcan alike.

' _It is done.'_  T'Met pronounced with no inflection to her voice. She gestured for Zybari to approach her. He did so in a daze.

' _Zybari. In accordance with our law and custom, you have prevailed through the kal'if'fee for possession of the woman T'Sar. Do you wish to claim the right of ownership upon her?'_ The matriarch's words barely registered to Zybari. He found himself still unable to order his thoughts. His emotions and feelings were swelling in a disturbing fashion. He required mediation desperately.

He was aware that T'Met was looking at him, awaiting his response. The correct ritual phrase was lost to him so he simply said _. 'T'Sar is mine.'_  The words bought a measure of relief to the swirling mess within his mind.

His response was apparently sufficient - T'Met nodded.

' _So be it. I renounce all claim of the House of T'Bok upon the female T'Sar.'_  She made the sign of the ta'al to Zybari _. 'Live long and prosper.'_

' _Live long and prosper._ ' he replied automatically.

She inclined her head. Her attendants lifted her sedan chair and she left in procession with the members of Sobok's clan who had come as part of the wedding party. Sobok himself was carried by four attendants upon a litter brought for such an eventuality. They would now make their way to their clan burial grounds and hold a funeral for him in place of a wedding.

He turned back to the crowd around him, now loudly talking and gesturing to each other, Vulcan and human alike. T'Pau beckoned him. T'Sar stood beside her along with his parents and grandparents and her own mother and father.

With a silent gesture T'Pau indicated a desire to meld with him. Zybari sunk to his knees so she could easily press her fingers to his psi points. He felt her presence, cool and logical, much like Sarek's, but calming and softer.

'It is as I thought.' she remarked in accented standard spoken in deference to the presence of his human mother and grandmother. 'Sobok's  _kae'at knal'lur_  has bought forth your time Zybari. Even now the fire of the plak'tow spreads through you.'

Zybari heard her words, understood their meaning, but found himself unaffected. He could smell T'Sar beside him. He inhaled deeply, savouring the scent. It soothed him. He had won. She was his.

He heard his mother's voice as if from far away. 'Then they must be married!'

'Yes  _ko-fu'il (granddaughter)_.' T'Pau's voice almost held amusement.

Zybari focused on a breathing exercise and attempted to maintain his grip on logic and reason. He heard the wedding drums begin once more, heard bells ringing again. Attendants dressed in robes bearing the markings of his clan and house moved under direction of T'Pau. The bloody sand was carefully removed and replaced with a fresh layer. All evidence of the Kal'if'fee combat was efficiently stripped in a matter of minutes. Zybari found he had not counted the exact period. Unusual.

T'Sar stood beside him, unmoving. Her presence drew him like a flame. He wished to pull her to him, press fingers and lips against her but was aware he had to wait. He could not look at her no matter how he desired it for fear his resolve would crumble.

At length he felt his father beside him, 'Zybari, it is time.' he remarked calmly in standard.

Almost in a daze Zybari stepped forward and approached the ceremonial altar. He rang the gong, signifying his arrival. He let the echoes fade out before ringing it again, indicating his readiness to begin the ceremony.

T'Pau was brought forward by her guards, preceded by her bell ringing attendants, and this time it was her regal voice that rang out over the place of  _koon-ut Kal'if'fee_. Unlike T'Met, she spoke in standard.

'As it was in the time of the Beginning, so it shall always be. This is the Vulcan heart, this is the Vulcan soul - this is our way.' She paused before proclaiming the time of challenge. ' _Kah'if'farr_

None issued challenge and Zybari struck the gong a third time. As the sound rung out T'Sar crossed the sands to stand once more before the altar, this time with no complaint. T'Pau rose from her chair to stand before them. As one Zybari and T'Sar knelt before her. The matriarch pressed her left hand to Zybari's face and her right to T'Sar's.

Zybari was both soothed and inflamed by the echo of T'Sar's mind from the elder's mental contact. T'Pau's touch did something, shifted something deep within him and sudden he no longer felt an echo of T'Sar, but felt her presence deeply and profoundly. Unconsciously he gasped and heard her make similar utterance beside him. Instead of just her thoughts he felt her emotions as well, far more strongly than he ever had through his fingertips.

Like him she was filled with stress and tension. She was relieved that he had succeeded, but she was nervous and unsure. They had not seen one another in 6.2 years and she was worried he would no longer feel as he once did for her. He had seen much of the galaxy and would perhaps not care for a sheltered Vulcan woman who had never left her home-planet.

There was little he could do to calm her stress and nerves, he was even more conflicted than she, but he reassured her on her last concern. The very first thing he shared along their new bond was his love for her. They had never spoken of love, it was distasteful to do so, but now that they were bonded Zybari felt confident enough to admit that his attachment to her went far beyond reason and logic.

He let her feel exactly how much he desired her and precisely the manner in which he admired her. It was a mix of logical - she was intelligent and her conversation and company superior - and irrational - the scent of her hair made him want to bury his face in it and inhale, the long line of her neck called out to him for the mark of his possession. That she was to be  _his_  bought him more satisfaction than any other thing in his life thus far.

He felt from her surprise, and then delight followed instantly by a molten wave of what he identified as her own love for him. She thought him superior in every way to all the males she had ever encountered. He was taller and stronger and his exotic human features - the line of his high cheekbones and the shape of his eyes - were beautiful to her.

She had delighted in his superior skill and formidable strength as he fought Sobok. Not only his strength had impressed her, but also his calm. Whilst Sobok had yelled and thrown crude insults, Zybari had remained still and dignified. He had shown the inaccuracy of Sobok's claims through demonstration of the superior nature of terran martial arts when combined with a Vulcan practitioner. He saw himself spinning and slashing with the long spear, then appearing to defy gravity as he rose up above Sobok to effortless delivery the killing blow.

T'Sar thought he was magnificent. A perfect mix of Vulcan strength and logic with terran beauty and compassion. That he had come and fought for her - bringing a dozen famed Federation heroes and  _two_ starships with him – all for a woman he only seen twice in 8.9 years, was humbling. She wanted to be his, was pleased they would not have to wait to be married completely. She wanted to kiss him and push her fingers through his short hair and…

T'Pau's amusement rippled between them with something like laughter.

Through the fog of their happiness Zybari and T'Sar belatedly realised that she had been privy to their entire exchange. The elder remained for a moment, apparently taking further amusement in their embarrassment before she withdrew warm fingers and ended the meld.

Her voice was as regal and dignified as ever, as if she had not been laughing inside a moment earlier.  _'Telik (married)!'_  she proclaimed _. 'Pon'farr (time for mating)!'_

The drums beat once more and the bells rang out. Zybari and T'Sar remained kneeling before the altar. Zybari could feel T'Sar within him still. She reached between them curiously and restlessly. He could feel the blood fever reflected in her, the rising tide of heat now shared between them. That she was with him, sharing the disturbing experience that was plak'tow was of immense comfort.

Amid the muted footfalls and conversations as the place of koon-ut Kal'if'fee emptied, he heard his parents softly explaining in standard to different Starfleet officers that they had to leave. He was glad he would not be present when  _why_  they had to leave was explained. After some minutes he heard the boom as the heavy gates of the gallery were closed behind the last of the wedding party.

The bells and drums faded as the wedding procession made their way to his clan's lands, in this case Sarek's estate, for the wedding feast. He wondered in a vague way what that gathering would be like. He doubted T'Sar's family would be overly delighted at the many Starfleet personnel and humans in attendance. Her mother T'Lar was not only a proud matriarch of one of the High Clans, but a master of the way of Kolinar – the  _Reldai t'Gol (princess/priestess of Gol)._  He could think of no Vulcan less suited to the company of humans. The thought was brief however and drifted away as easily as it had come as his mind twisted back to T'Sar.

He turned to face her as they knelt in the sand and allowed himself, finally, to truly look at her. Over the last 6.2 years serving in Starfleet he had encountered females of a myriad of humanoid species, but T'Sar was by far the most aesthetically pleasing. After seeing her only in holos and subspace communication for so long, being beside her did not quite feel real.

She was as lovely as he recalled.

Her skin was a sun-kissed gold, her hair a deep brown that was almost black and delicate eyebrows framed her dark eyes. T'Sar was a natural beauty made even lovelier by her wedding finery. Her dress was silver, elaborately embroidered and cut to emphasise her figure. Her dark hair was braided and threaded with strands of gemstones and arranged intricately around a traditional headdress. She also wore much jewellery - rings, earrings and a long necklace. He could not imagine a more pleasing sight in all the galaxy than S'rlk N'saau T'Sar - (S'chn T'gai T'Sar his brain reminded him, she was his  _wife_  now) - in her wedding finery.

She likewise turned to him, her dark eyes flicking over his face cataloguing changes in his appearance since they had last seen one another in the gardens of his grandfather's house years earlier. He could feel the echo of her thoughts, as if they were touching fingers and sharing them as they had done in years past. She had noted his shorter hair, approved, and observed his uniform and Commander's rank insignia with interest and appreciation for both the way the gold contrasted with his dark skin and the skill his promotion implied.

She then proceeded to make extensive and through estimations with regards to the increase in musculature he had undergone since she last saw him at 19. She reached out and pressed her hand flat against chest, testing the give of his flesh beneath. Her fingers skimmed along the material to gauge its texture as her hand shifted to curl around his bicep. He felt her approval.

'I am uncertain what you have been doing for the last 6.2 standard years Zybari, but it is apparent that life aboard a starship has left you in exceedingly satisfactory physical condition.' Although her voice was calm, through the bond he felt her amusement. She was attempting to please him, had known the dry statement would amuse the shadow of a human sense of humour he keep well hidden inside him. He almost smiled as he raised an eyebrow to her.

He lifted his arm and pulled her hand off his shoulder. She was smaller than he recalled, her wrist almost absurdly fragile in his grasp and her hand was entirely engulfed by the span of his own. He felt a wave of desire from her that set the heat of plak'tow eddying through him once more. He met her gaze sharply but she was staring at his hand where he held her. The simple action had affected her on some instinctual level, made her feel decidedly female. Experimentally he tugged her towards him. She gasped as she half fell against him, flicking sand up around their knees.

He ignored her mild shock and wrapped his other arm around her firmly, pulling her roughly against his kneeling form. He let her feel the strength of his body as he held her, tensing the arm that wrapped around her in a way that demonstrated precisely  _how_  male he was and how much smaller and  _female_ she was in comparison. The wave of desire from her was suddenly an inferno. T'Sar melted against him, her eyes half closing and her head tilting back displaying the long line of her neck temptingly. Her thoughts were thick and strange and pulled at him. She wanted him, needed him, she  _burned_.

The heat of her desire seeped into his very flesh. He felt his thoughts changing, felt once more the strange sensation of time itself slowing. He was aware of everywhere their bodies touched - with dull heat through their clothes and burning points of fire were his skin touched hers. The smell of her surrounded him. Soap and perfume and her skin. He leant forward and indulged himself in an action he had long desired, he pressed his face against her where her slender neck met her shoulder and inhaled her scent directly from her warm skin.

She moaned and pressed herself against him, a hand rising to thread through his short hair. Turning his head he pressed his lips against her neck. The fingers in his hair tightened. Her skin was impossibly soft. He kissed it, scraped his teeth across it and soothed it with his tongue, tasting her. Her hips shifted restlessly against him in response and an errant thought slipped from her mind and into his - her undergarments were slippery and uncomfortable with arousal. Zybari heard himself growl as he abruptly sat back from his kneeling position and pulled her onto his lap. T'Sar gasped in pleasure and her legs parted and wrapped around him.

Zybari was surrounded by heat. The plak'tow burnt within him, turning his very blood and breath into molten heat inside him and T'Sar curled against him like a flame, her fever-bright thoughts sliding against him as temptingly as her body.

Primitive need and instinct pulled him in half a dozen ways all at once. He shifted his grip from her back to her hip and pulled her against him. The material of his uniform clung uncomfortably to his skin. T'Sar's fingers slipped beneath it branding his skin with her touch. He kissed the skin beneath her ear and ran his lips down the line of her neck. The cool silk of her dress was jarring and unpleasant against his face in comparison to her skin, so he took hold of it and pulled it down over her shoulder to reveal the flesh beneath. As the silk tore she gasped and rocked against him, her back arching with that instinctual  _femaleness_  once more.

Encouraged by her reaction he kept his grip on her dress and kept pulling, splitting the garment in two. Mindlessly he tore the silvery remnants from her body, his hands sliding over her skin as he did so. She still wore her undergarments, but the revealed expanses of golden skin distracted him from a desire to remove them. His hands ran across her body feverishly. She panted and shook beneath his touch with a heady mixture of adrenaline, nerves, excitement and lust. Her hips rocked against him and her hands tugged at his uniform.

He felt her desire to feel his skin against hers but he was too enraptured with his explorations of her own body to disrobe.

She made a whining noise of frustration which he ignored, then took hold of his uniform and ripped it from neck to hem, undershirt too, in a casual display of Vulcan strength. Zybari stilled. T'Sar made a triumphant purring noise in the back of her throat and shoved the remains of his shirt down to his elbows before pressing her hands to his body.

Zybari freed his arms of the ruined uniform and wrapped them around T'Sar once more. She had been correct, feeling their bare skin pressed together was infinitely superior to being separated by clothing. She leant forward and kissed along the line of his shoulder as her hands ran down his back, across his chest and down to his hips in exploration. Her fingers left trailing lines of molten heat and psi energy in their wake, reflections of her enjoyment of his body.

It was suddenly too much. The red tide within him overwhelmed his last control and he was engulfed. He no longer wanted, he  _needed._  He wrapped a hand around the back of her head and pulled her face to his to kiss her roughly. Her lips parted and her tongue twisted against his with equal fervour. Her mouth was hot and wet and set him throbbing in need. Her hands fumbled and pulled at the fastening of his trousers frantically. Zybari could feel her heart racing and sense her almost panicked need. He felt her tear the fastening of his uniform and then his mind went blank as her hand wrapped around him.

Her undergarments fell apart beneath his fingers. He suddenly had her beneath him on the sand though he didn't recall moving them. She was digging her fingernails into his shoulders and making a high pitched noise that seemed to resonate with his anatomy directly below his naval. He shifted against her, pressing closer until their bodies slipped wetly against each other.

For the first time in his life he had absolutely no control over his body. His metabolic functions were wild, his heartbeat erratic and his body temperature feverish but he couldn't affect even the slightest change. He was aware that his grip on T'Sar's hip was too strong, unnecessarily firm, but he was unable to loosen his hold upon her. She shifted beneath him, tilting her pelvis so that their bodies were aligned and his body pressed forward instinctually the moment they were, her body parting in wet burning heat before him.

She keened into his ear and clutched at him with arms and legs. His mind went white and still as he was surrounded by the crushing molten grip of her body. He stared down at her for a moment, his heart thundering wildly and his breath caught in his throat. Her eyes had rolled back in her head and there was green blood on her lip where she, or perhaps he, had bitten it. That tender human part of him was telling him he needed to be gentle, that their initial coupling would be painful for her, but plak'tow had no room for human sensitivity. A loud exultant snarl was torn from somewhere deep inside him and his hips snapped forward violently, shoving T'Sar into the sand and burying his body deeply within hers. A strangled noise escaped her and she let out a low wail. He wrapped a hand around her neck, uncaring of his strength, uncaring if she could breath, and shoved her face into the sand. The smooth golden skin of her was called to something ancient and primitive inside him and then his teeth were embedded in the soft flesh where her shoulder met her neck and he could taste her coppery blood in his mouth.

The greater part of Zybari, the Vulcan aspect, was awash with infinite male satisfaction. He finally had his mate, his female, right where she belonged - pinned beneath him, his lok buried deep inside her and his mark upon her flesh so all would know she was  _his._

In contrast, the human in him was horrified at his violence and irritating, illogical, human guilt distracted him from his triumph.

T'Sar was not a human woman however. She was Vulcan and as deep in plak'tow as he. There was pain but the undulating noise that rose from her throat was one of ecstasy. She pressed fingers to his psi points and joined her delirious mind to his, sharing the incredible satisfaction she felt at finally being possessed fully by him.

Zybari could feel his chest vibrating with a low growling noise he'd never made before. He lathed his tongue along her shoulder and neck making his way back to her mouth to kiss her hungrily even as he withdrew from her body before impaling her once more. She stared into his eyes, her emotions and feelings bared completely to him. They couldn't form words out loud but were almost yelling at one another with their minds. Zybari's thoughts were a constant chant of possession and ownership,  _/minemineminemine/_  and T'Sar's a delirious stream of a submission.  _/yoursyoursyours/_

He lost all control over his actions. He burnt in the plak'tow and T'Sar was aflame beside him, with him, a part of him.

Zybari awoke to the absolute darkness that preceded dawn. For a minute he lay in the cool sand with T'Sar curled beside him and attempted to identify what had awoken him. At length he realised his father was gently prodding at him through their bond. He responded in kind.

A minute later he sensed his father and mother approaching. His father stopped several meters away from where he and T'Sar lay and his mother approached them alone. She carried a bundle of clothing.

'Zybari?' she inquired hesitantly.

'Mother.' His voice was cracked and dry.

T'Sar shifted into awareness beside him and suddenly his thoughts thickened and slowed once more. His mother spoke but he could not make sense of her words. They twisted away from him. T'Sar was uneasy at the presence of another female, her fingers dug into him where she held him.

He heard his father speak and suddenly his mother backed away. T'Sar relaxed slightly. His father spoke but again, Zybari could not hear properly. He tried to catch the words but they slipped away from him. Then he felt his father reaching through their bond once more. No words, just images. A room. A bed. Privacy. T'Sar agreed silently that such a situation would be superior to their current one. More images flittered from his father. Clothing. A hovercar. Then the room. Then privacy.

His mother slowly edged forward and placed the bundle of robes on the sand nearby before backing away to stand with his father, their backs turned. Zybari and T'Sar haphazardly pulled on the robes. Before silently following his parents to their vehicle. Their presence prevented the plak'tow from engulfing Zybari and T'Sar during the short journey to Sarek's estate. His parents escorted them through the deserted pre-dawn halls and into their promised quarters before departing.

As soon as they were alone once more T'Sar wrapped her arms around Zybari and kissed him hungrily. They swiftly disrobed and made good use of their more comfortable surroundings. The bed was indeed far superior to the sand of the place of koon-ut Kal'if'fee.

His grip on time remained twisted. It did not seem like it, but when he and T'Sar awoke and found the fires of Pon'farr sated at last, three days had passed since their wedding.

They showered and dressed. Clothes from Zybari's quarters on the  _Excelsior_  and the chests of clothing and belongings that T'Sar had packed in preparation for her marriage had been left for them. T'Sar dressed very carefully in a fine robe and twisted her hair up into an elaborate traditional style. She was nervous. She wished to appear a dutiful Vulcan wife to T'Pau and Sarek, but did not wish to seem proud and unfriendly to his human relations and Starfleet colleagues.

Although she had more experience dealing with humans than most due to her friendship with Tamu Uhura, she was still concerned. She wished to accompany him on the  _Excelsior_ , being able to interact with humans would be vital. What if they tried to hug or kiss her? She had endured such displays on occasion from Tamu with great discomfort. If a stranger tried to hug her she was uncertain she would be able to respond in a socially acceptable manner.

'No one will try and hug you T'Sar.' Zybari reassured her. 'Anyone who has remained here will be long acquainted with my family and accustomed to Vulcan ways.'

His prediction proved correct. Apart from his relations, the only humans that remained at Sarek's estate were former bridge officers from the  _Enterprise_  with long years of experience dealing with his father and himself. Their friendly introductions and congratulations to T'Sar were conducted with typical human enthusiasm and emotion, but none of them tried to hug or kiss her, not even his own mother, though it was plain to Zyberi that she wished to.

They spent a further 3 days with his family in pleasant recreation. Zybari was pleased to discover his father had processed paperwork with Starfleet so that T'Sar would be entitled to join him on the  _Excelsior_ and that Admiral Pike had provided further documentation that would process her application to a civilian scientific posting upon the  _Excelsior_  should she desire such a thing.

T'Sar spoke at great length with Captain Sulu about the research into gaseous anomalies in the Beta quadrant that the  _Excelsior_  was currently engaged in. The Captain appeared inordinately pleased when he discovered her extensive study in xenobiology, a scientific interest he shared. Despite her fears she appeared perfectly capable of interacting in a satisfactory manner with humans. More successfully than other Vulcans of his acquaintance such as Ensign Tuvok.

When they took their leave from New Vulcan Zybari allowed his mother a hug and kissed her cheek. His grudging acceptance amused his father, and his grandmother Tamu, who had witnessed the exchange, insisted on the same treatment. His great-grandmother T'Pau remarked that she would content herself with a verbal expression of farewell, a statement which amused his parents a great deal, though his father attempted to mask it.

T'Sar's excitement and anticipation was palpable as they joined Captain Sulu and Lieutenant Commander Rand to beam up to the ship. Although she had done much study on the principles behind the technology, T'Sar had never used a transporter before. When they materialised aboard the pad on the  _Excelsior_ , she met his eyes widely. 'It is a most curious sensation!' she remarked. 'I should like to do it again.'

The Captain laughed.

'Oh I'm sure you'll end up thoroughly sick of the transporter within a few months T'Sar.' Lieutenant Commander Rand remarked before turning to the Captain. 'Shall I show them to their new quarters Captain?'

He nodded and met Zybari's eyes. 'We will be departing New Vulcan at 6:30 hours standard. Report to the bridge for Alpha shift Commander.'

'Affirmative Captain.' Zybari replied before he and T'Sar followed Lieutenant Commander Rand from the room.

Due to the time difference between the standard time kept aboard Starfleet vessels and New Vulcan's day/night cycle they had come aboard from early evening on the planet to very early morning on the ship.

Rand led them to the officer's quarters on deck 18 in the saucer section. Zybari could easily have located their assigned quarters himself, but he realised the human woman was attempting to make T'Sar feel welcome on board the ship so made no mention of it. As they passed different facilities, recreation rooms, laboratories and munitions stores alike the Lieutenant Commander pointed them out.

There were more personnel walking the corridors than was usual for the hour, but Zybari imagined many of the crew were recently returned from shore leave and still operating on 'Vulcan' time. Judging from the curious looks he and T'Sar received, he was certain that wild speculation and gossip had spread throughout the crew with regards to their unexpected week of leave on New Vulcan. The presence of a beautiful and exotically dressed Vulcan woman was certainly not a common one.

Lieutenant Commander Rand left them at the door to their quarters with a smile and invitation that T'Sar join the bridge officers for the next meal in the deck 12 forward refectory. Which would be breakfast she needlessly informed them.

The first thing T'Sar said after they entered their quarters was 'They smile  _constantly._  Do they not suffer muscle strain?'

'Years of conditioning prevents such concerns I imagine.' Zybari responded.

T'Sar inspected their quarters quickly and efficiently. She was not pleased or displeased. They were much as she had imagined. A small sleeping room with adjoining bathroom facilities, a central room with seating and a replicator and another room to one side equipped with desks and computer consoles.

Zybari walked to the environmental controls and set the temperature to a more comfortable level of 32˚ Celsius. He then adjusted the lighting from the cool light spectrum preferred by humans to a warmer tone. Finally he set the opacity levels on the transparent aluminium windows to zero.

T'Sar gasped as the long windows suddenly filled with stars and the orange curve of New Vulcan. He knew she had never left the planet before, her delight and amazement at the view afforded them echoed through their bond. He came to stand beside her and indicated a small pale speck to their right. 'That is the  _Enterprise._  Father informed me it will be departing at 06:20 hours. Perhaps you would like to observe the jump to warp? The antimatter warp contrails are quite fascinating to witness in person.'

'That would indeed be most interesting.' she replied eagerly.

Zybari nodded. 'The forward observation deck on the upper level would provide the most advantageous viewpoint.' He sensed her eagerness. 'We need not wait. We can go there now. The view of New Vulcan itself will be much less impeded.'

'That would be most satisfactory adun.' she replied.

They departed their quarters once more, but this time T'Sar offered her fingers to him in the  _ozh'esta_  and fell into step slightly behind him in the  _telik'rak (bonded-position)_ as was custom for a woman being escorted by her husband. Zybari returned the gesture, taking pleasure in her excitement and curiosity as they made their way across the ship to the forward observation deck. He deepened their connection, letting her learn the layout of the parts of the ship they passed directly from his memories. It was far more efficient than pointing out each facility they passed as Lieutenant Commander Rand had done earlier.

There were quite a few off duty crew already at the observation deck. Whenever the ship was in orbit of something interesting the observation decks were popular. The Forward and Rear Upper Observation Decks were the most superior in Zybari's opinion. Their locations at the top of the saucer section meant their huge view-windows extended into L shapes up into the ceilings giving significantly greater fields of vision then the other observation decks.

Zybari led T'Sar forward towards the windows. They remained for a period of 27.2 minutes, T'Sar enraptured by the view. Silently they pointed out the constellations of New Vulcan that were visible. Ti'Valka'ain the fire god, whose eye was formed by Navasa - the star of Old Vulcan, hung to the starboard and below him was his love Reah - the goddess of death. T'Sar also pointed out the constellation of Seleya, which was said to resemble the famous mountain on Old Vulcan, and the Ta'al t'Surak – a large constellation that they both agreed didn't  _really_ resemble the hand salute.

The  _Enterprise_ moved closer in its synchronous orbit until the large shape of the gleaming white ship took up a good portion of the view. With their sharp Vulcan eyesight T'Sar and Zybari could make out crew through the  _Enterprise's_ backlit windows. When the  _Enterprise_ was almost due to depart Zybari silently directed her attention to it once more.

As they watched the other ship flashed its running lights in a series of pulses. He felt T'Sar's curiosity and silently explained that the pulses were an ancient terran code and that the  _Enterprise_  was bidding the  _Excelsior_  farewell. Though they could not see, the  _Excelsior_ would be flashing her own running lights in response. It was an unofficial Starfleet tradition. Around them the crowd that had assembled to watch the  _Enterprise_  jump to warp fell silent.

The  _Enterprise_  banked as it re-orientated along its flight co-ordinates, the blue glow of the navigational deflector dish intensifying as it opened in preparation for the jump to warp. Through their bond Zybari could feel T'Sar observing all the visible indicators of the processes occurring in the ship with great interest. She noted the orange glow of the impulse engines as the ship manoeuvred into position, the spin and dull throb of the bussard collectors at the forward ends of the nacelles as they were brought online and of course, the intensifying blue glow of the warp nacelles themselves as they powered up.

Zybari felt his bonds to both his mother and father warm slightly as they bid him silent farewell. The running lights of the  _Enterprise_  flashed once more and then it jumped to warp. T'Sar's breath caught in her throat as the ship seemed to stretch impossibly and exist in more than one place at once for a split second. A few of the more excitable crew nearby whooped or let out other noises of excitement. Zybari felt his familial bonds to his mother and father suddenly stretch impossibly. The warp contrails lingered for a second glowing blue, and then all trace of the  _Enterprise_ vanished.

T'Sar's heart was beating 12% faster than normal. She turned to look up into his eyes, her pleasure plain on her face. 'Is jumping to warp as enjoyable as watching another ship do so?' she inquired.

'I have always found the sensation most curious.' Zybari remarked. 'The sudden sense of the normal laws of physics shifting around you is quite unique.'

'You've never been on a spaceship before ma'am?' an ensign in sciences blue asked politely.

T'Sar was surprised that a male would speak to her uninvited but recognised that his query was not considered impolite by human standards. 'I have not.' she agreed evenly.

The ensign smiled widely. 'Oh you're in for a treat then! Nothing beats jumping to warp and watching space and time twist around you!'

T'Sar's left eyebrow vanished underneath her fringe. Zybari felt her attempting to formulate an acceptable response and silently shared the magical phrase that his own father had long ago shared with him. T'Sar delivered it admirably. She inclined her head in apparent thoughtful agreement and said 'Indeed.'

They remained on the observation deck. Zybari thought T'Sar would enjoy the view. Watching stars stretch under warp was a singular sight.

A voice Zybari recognised as Lieutenant Commander Rand 's came over the ships intercom. _'Attention all personnel. We will be departing New Vulcan in T-minus 2 minutes. Engineering please report status.'_

1.8 minutes later the intercom came on once more. _'All decks, this is the Captain speaking. Prepare for immediate departure.'_

A sudden thought occurred to Zybari. 'T'Sar, your familial bonds will stretch when we enter warp. The sensation can be unpleasant - '

She nodded. 'Yes I felt your connection to your parents fade when the  _Enterprise_  departed. I am prepared.'

The floor vibrated slightly beneath them and the engines hummed softly many decks below. T'Sar's fingers slipped from his and instead gripped his hand like a human. Her heart rate had increased once more. Through their bond Zybari explained precisely which parts of the ship's systems were causing which noise and vibration.

The jump to warp was sudden, but the smoothness of the sensation surprised T'Sar. She had been expecting to feel a jerk of acceleration, illogical as that was due to the nature of travel by warp drive. She gasped as New Vulcan vanished and she was suddenly light years away from her parents. The stars spread into lines around them. She quickly adapted to the diminished nature of her bonds to her family. They stood silently as she stared at the star streaks of warp space for 6.8 minutes. Most of those on the deck departed. Then there was a blue flash. T'Sar turned to look at his questioningly.

'Debris hitting the deflector shield resulting in a dissipation of cerenkov radiation.' He explained.

'I had not realised such a discharge would be visible. Fascinating.' she responded.

They remained for a further ten minutes before Zybari spoke once more. 'I customarily partake of sustenance with the other bridge officers at 07:00 hours.'

'I will accompany you as Lieutenant Commander Rand suggested.' she replied.

They made their way to the forward refectory which was not quite as busy as usual most likely again, due to the time difference caused by shore leave on New Vulcan.

Lieutenant Commander Rand waved. The rest of the alpha shift crew were seated nearby her, save the Captain who was in all probability on the bridge drinking tea or partaking of breakfast in his ready room.

Zybari made a few suggestions with regards to the more palatable options available from the replicators as he and T'Sar selected breakfasts. Taking his advice she selected plomeek soup, tea and fruit. He selected a similar meal for himself though he included a few maandazi. Rand indicated T'Sar should sit beside her and after a pointed look, a lieutenant moved down to make room for Zybari next to her.

'Good Morning Lieutenant Commander Rand.' T'Sar politely offered in standard.

'Hello again T'Sar, Commander.' The older female replied in greeting to them both. 'Are your quarters satisfactory?'

'Indeed. They are perfectly adequate.' T'Sar responded.

Zybari was in the process of adding spice sachets to his plomeek soup when he felt T'Sar lay her left hand upon his thigh. His hands froze for 3 seconds as he contemplated her possible motives for such a gesture. He recalled the manner in which she had pressed her fingers to his during their meal breaks at the Academy of Shi'Kahr many years previously. He took up his spoon in his right hand and wrapped the left around the hand upon his thigh.

He felt her pleasure at his acceptance of the gesture. It was quite forward in terms of Vulcan etiquette, and she had been uncertain if he would allow it, but they were on a federation starship, not a Vulcan one. Zybari saw no need to adhere strictly to V'tosh tradition. It was a perfectly acceptable gesture as far as any human would be concerned.

Lieutenant Commander Rand introduced T'Sar to the other personnel present, all of whom were polite and making obvious effort to restrain their curiosity. Through the link of their fingers Zybari informed T'Sar of the details of his shift and made suggestions for her first day aboard. He thought she might wish to inspect the many scientific laboratories on the  _Excelsior_ before requesting a specific civilian research post. She had the necessary qualifications to work in either the Biology or Engineering departments. He felt excitement from her at the thought of the Engineering department. Her childhood interest in warp and subspace theory was undiminished.

Aloud he remarked, 'I am uncertain if a civilian post in the Engineering department would be satisfactory. Owing to the vital importance of the Engineering section to the ship, it is very rare for non-commissioned officers to be involved. Should you decide your interest lays in that direction, it would be prudent to consider the accelerated officer's program at the Academy.'

Lieutenant Commander Rand turned from her conversation with Dr Chapel. 'Oh! Christine and I both completed that course T'Sar. I enlisted as a yeoman, and she as a nurse. After our first five year mission with the  _Enterprise_ we both decided we wanted more of a challenge in our careers. It only takes a year. I highly recommend it.'

Dr Chapel nodded her agreement. 'The only downside is spending a year surrounded by teenage cadets.'

'It seems a logical choice to consider if I am to remain aboard with my husband.' T'Sar agreed.

Zybari felt his cheeks darken and heat at being referred to as 'husband' by T'Sar.

'Although it seems a shame to trade those gorgeous Vulcan dresses for a Starfleet uniform.' Dr Chapel remarked with her usual human frivolity.

T'Sar tilted her head and turned to look at Zybari. 'On the contrary, I find the Starfleet uniform to be quite pleasing both in form and function.'

Rand laughed shortly. 'Your husband does fill his quite 'pleasingly' I will admit.'

Dr Chapel snorted. 'I'll say. Whenever the Commander's in sickbay for a checkup I suddenly have twice as many nurses on duty. It's almost as bad as when Kirk and Spock used to get themselves blown to bits.'

Rand smiled. 'Oh yes I remember. It used to take the combined ire of McCoy and Uhura to get rid of all the mooning admirers.'

'You amongst them from what I recall.' the doctor remarked.

Rand gasped in scandal. 'Like you can talk! I seem to recall a certain nurse following Spock around like a lost puppydog. You even made him plomeek soup!'

Dr Chapel blushed. 'You're exaggerating terribly Janice.'

Lieutenant Commander Rand scoffed.

T'Sar turned to Zybari and raised an eyebrow. He shrugged infinitesimally. He had known Rand and Chapel since he was a child but their behaviour often still mystified him.

T'Sar turned back to the human women. 'Am I to gather that Doctor Chapel making plomeek soup for Captain Spohkh indicates a romantic interest?'

The doctor choked slightly on her coffee. Lieutenant Commander Rand laughed. The other officers seated nearby were suddenly very interested in the conversation.

'I do not think this situation amusing. It seems most unfortunate owing to the fact that Osasu S'ch T'gai Spohkh is already bonded.' T'Sar replied gravely. It was a little strange to hear her perfect Vuhlkansu rendition of his father's name in the midst of a sentence in standard.

Lieutenant Commander Rand patted Dr Chapel on the back in an effort to help her clear her airways. At length the doctor indicated with a gesture of her hand that she was recovered. Lieutenant Commander Rand returned her attention to T'Sar. 'I was just teasing her T'Sar. Christine might have had a  _little_ crush on Spock 30 years ago, but then again I think between him and Jim half of Starfleet had a bit of a crush.'

'I am unfamiliar with the meaning of the term crush in this context.' T'Sar admitted.

The Doctor responded, her voice slightly hoarse. 'A brief romantic interest without any deep emotional attachment.' She paused. 'I don't think it's something Vulcans really  _do.'_

She was correct. Vulcan 'romantic interests' were either exceedingly long term or non-existent.

'I see.' She paused for a moment. 'So you are implying that after the defeat of Nero, Captain Spock and Admiral Kirk became the focus of much 'brief romantic interest' amongst Starfleet?'

'Oooo definitely.' Rand replied. She glanced at Dr Chapel and the two women shared an odd look.

'They were so handsome.' The doctor said.

'And  _brave_.' Lieutenant Commander Rand added.

'Remember when Kirk insisted Spock give him  _suss mahna_  lessons?' Dr Chapel inquired with an odd smile.

'Oh lordy! Half the crew ended up loitering around the gymnasium trying to get a look at them.' Lieutenant Commander Rand replied. 'Bones said we could have charged admission.'

'Remember when that ensign  _fainted_?' the doctor asked.

'Oh I'd forgotten! Commander Spock tore his shirt and he took it off didn't he?' Rand laughed. 'That poor ensign just BAM! hit the decks!'

'Spock without his shirt  _was_ something though.' Dr Chapel lifted her left eyebrow and gave Lieutenant Commander Rand a pointed look as she spoke. 'Still is according to Nyota. Like a washboard apparently.'

Zybari, who had found the entire conversation awkward, now reached the breaking point of his politeness. He had no desire to listen to Lieutenant Commander Rand and Dr Chapel discuss his father's physical attractiveness as a mate. T'Sar for her part seemed thoroughly confused by the exchange. He stood.

'T'Sar, I must report to the bridge. If you are returning to our quarters I will escort you.'

His wife paused and considered. 'That would be satisfactory.' She turned back to the Commanders. 'It was pleasant to share a meal with you Lieutenant Commander Rand and Dr Chapel.' Her attempts at human courtesy were admirable.

The human women made farewells as T'Sar stood. Zybari offered her his fingers in the  _ozh'esta_  and led her from the refectory.

'Human conversation is most strange.' T'Sar remarked.

'Indeed. I still do not entirely understand it, and I was raised by a human woman and have lived amongst them for several years.'

'Their subject matter was almost disrespectful to your father and Admiral Kirk, and yet both are friends with your parents and Lieutenant Commander Rand is Admiral Kirk's wife is she not?' T'Sar inquired.

'They are married, though I have long since stopped attempting to understand the nature of their personal connection. Human romantic relationships can be exceedingly complicated.' Zybari replied.

They entered a turbolift with two engineering ensigns.

'The personal nature of their comments with regards to your father and Admiral Kirk were expressions of human familiarity and friendship?'

'That is correct. Human friendship is often expressed through 'teasing' and other behaviour a Vulcan would assume was meant to insult.'

'You will have to guide me in my interactions with humans until I have adequately familiarised myself with these strange customs.' T'Sar said as they approached their quarters.

'I will indeed endeavour to do so. However your long acquaintance with my grandmother has most likely already put you in a favourable position when it comes to such interaction.'

'This is true, however o _ko-mekh'il_  (honoured grandmother) Tamu is a most admirably logical and reasonable human, which in this instance leaves me at a disadvantage.'

Zybari noted the respectful and fond way in which his wife referred to his human grandmother with a measure of gratitude.

'I am most fortunate to have one such as you for my wife T'Sar.' His remark was at odds with their conversation and T'Sar's left eyebrow lifted in query, but he felt her pleasure at his statement also.

'I am equally satisfied with you as my husband.' she replied evenly.

He nodded. 'I must report to the bridge. I usually take my meal break at 13:00 hours in the forward refectory. Your presence would be most welcome if you are not otherwise constrained.'

'I will join you husband.' she replied.

Zybari ran his index finger up along hers in an affectionate caress. T'Sar returned the gesture and Zybari turned to the door.

Before he could leave however she took hold of his arm and tugged him back towards her. He followed her lead curiously. To his surprise she stepped forward, placed one hand upon his shoulder and stood on her toes to kiss him. It was not a passionate kiss, but an affectionate one. After a moment she dropped back on her feet and gave him her tiny Vulcan smile.

At his unspoken question she replied, 'It is a traditional human gesture, is it not, for a wife to kiss her husband goodbye?'

Zybari felt his lips attempt to curve into another traditional human gesture. 'Yes it is so.'

T'Sar nodded decisively, 'Well then. Goodbye husband.'

Zybari bent his head and kissed her softly once more, letting his love and amusement fill their bond. 'Goodbye wife.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a deleted scene from the middle of this story that features T'Vai, (Zybari's sister), that I might post at some point.


End file.
